19
by Chaoartwork39
Summary: 19 plot: When a one in a half year old stitchpunk discovers a talisman, the mysteries that will unfold will unlock a journey that 9 never completed. But she will not do this alone. (RATED T FOR MILD LANGUAGES, DARK AND VIOLENT SCENES) *I am terribly sorry for all confusions on the unexpected scene. I have now put scene line and the fanfiction is readable again. Again. I'm sorry.*
1. CHARACTER INTRODUCTION

**Main characters**

19: a female with half souls of 9 and 6. Technical daughter of 7.

art/19-Introduction-521710593

10: a male healer with half souls of 5 and 2. 19's best friend.

art/10-Introduction-524474007

11: a dwarf female with half souls of 2 and 3. Twin sister of 12.

12: a dwarf male with half soul of 1 and 4. Twin brother of 11

art/11-And-12-Introduction-526741622

 **Major characters**

7: leader of the group. Technical mother of 19 and former mate of 9

13: a one-eye male librarian and writer with half souls of 5 and 4.

14: a small male scouter and collector with half souls of 2 and 8. 17's best friend.

15: a blind white female with half souls of 1 and 8. Guard of the home base and loyal to 7.

16: a male weapon maker with half the soul of 8 and 6. 18's partner

17: a female eye projecting stitchpunk with half souls of 5 and 6. Best friends with 14

18: a female drawer with half souls of 6 and 4. Partner of 16.

art/19-major-character-528889916

if you want to see drawing covers of each episode while reading this, click here: art/19-episode-1-part1-529602244

Enjoy the story!


	2. Episode 1: In the Emptiness pt1

Twenty-one years has past and the Emptiness began to show life,  
despite the sky still trying to hide the sun's glow. Even the tiny plants  
began to peak out from the dirt, although it was predicted that it will take  
millions of years for them to come. From this, it wont be long till new lives  
will begin to unfold. New animals, new seas, and lands waiting to be  
discovered someday. However, this doesn't mean that not every single  
thing is still dangerous.

A knife-shaped claw lands upon the ground, crushing several plants. As  
it continued walking past by into the abandoned city, the Cat Beast  
noticed piles of junk that laid between the sidewalks. It then walked  
towards them, letting it's skull snout poke around it before then letting its  
front claw aggressively throw out whatever parts are useless. Whatever  
things it finds small goes into his small pouch. Whatever was big goes  
into its mouth. Despite getting some things that can be useful for  
something, it continued going onto new piles and search.

Suddenly, a tiny thud can be heard as it hesitated for a second on what  
it was doing and turned to the street. It saw nothing but a pebble and let  
out a growl as it creeped up to it and examined, poking it once. It then  
rose its head up and turned on it's bright yellowish light across its area,  
sensing someone to be here. There was only silence until few seconds  
later, another rock was thrown behind it, causing the creature to  
immediately turn towards it.

Trying to calculate the sound that the rock was coming from, it turned  
towards a small pile and lower it's face while creeping up to it so it's  
bright eyes wouldn't scare out it's prey. Letting its growl soften, it  
launched on the pile and swiped its claw onto its prey behind the pile,  
only for it to only claw the air. It starts growing frustrated for once again  
missing its prey as it began to aggressively scatter the pile in seeing if the  
prey hid in there.

Another rock was thrown again, this time landed the closest towards the  
beast. It turned to another pile and began searching unto it the same  
behavior it had on the last pile. While it isn't looking, at a bigger pile next  
to the pile the beast was searching in, a tiny figure sneaked and carefully  
slid down before standing on a plank half in the near top pile. The figure  
then pulled out a rope in her bag, tied it up to a fish hook and grip both  
her hand on it, letting her eyes aim at the predator. She then took a deep  
breath.  
"Just as she taught you," she whispered to herself and trying to stay in  
her positive tone.

She then took her her bent position and spin the rope with the hook  
swirling fast enough to give out a soft whirring sound. This caught the  
skull cat's attention a second before the figure threw out her rope and let  
it spin around it's snout. She then pulled her rope in time for the hook to  
cling unto the bottom of its jaws. She smiled in delight on her first try and  
was about to do her next step. But the plan snapped when the creature  
yanked its head enough for the prey to not have strength to pull the rope  
more and flew across the street. As soon the small body hit against one of  
the buildings, the beast let its eyes rest upon the figure trying to get up  
before revealing her appearance on exactly what the beast was hunting  
for: a stitchpunk.

"Damn it," the white burlap stitchpunk muttered in annoyance and got up  
to carry back her knife weapon that was laying next to her and tried  
running around it. She is hoping to make it loose sight of her and see if  
she can try again, but she looked back to see that it was too fast. It  
reached out to her, only hitting her legs enough to easily trip, have her  
knife fly out of her hand, and roll across the floor. As soon as she  
stopped, it took a second to grasp her left leg in pain, with the cloudy sky  
being too dark to see how bad it is. She quickly turned to the beast  
charging towards her with her eyes widening before closing them tightly  
for her doom.

It leapt towards her, picturing its mouth to grab unto her body. But all  
she felt was its huge snout shoving her across the ground and letting  
some dirt fly unto her burlap. As soon as the shoving stop, the beast  
immediately pulled its snout away before hearing it let out a muffled roar  
of annoyance and anger. The prey turned her head towards it to  
remember that it's jaw was still tightly tied from her rope as it tried pull it  
out, which gave enough time to get her weapon back. She got up to run  
clumsily towards the knife, only for her wounded leg to later make her  
collapse on the ground, causing her growl to have the mixture of pain and  
irritation. The cat beast has finally gave up pulling and decided to just run  
towards her and pin its claw unto her body before she even managed to  
finally stand up and run off again.

Glancing at it letting out a muffled roar of pride, she looked around  
quickly to find something else to use as a weapon and can only lock her  
eyes on a huge pebble lying nearby her enough to easily reach. She  
snatched it right before the beast's claws then grabbed her upwards and  
she waited till it held her close to its face to investigate its catch. She then  
tries to guess its weak spot that can distract it, which she decided smack  
it unto its bright right eye, causing it glance away in low growling pain and  
realized that it was trying to recover it. And as soon as it tried looking  
back at her, she quickly smack it again, this time with as much strength,  
causing the monster to let out a sharp cry of pain from its shattered eye.

She was taken back with the mixture of fear and surprise of her success  
while she watched the sparks fly out of it, but was later swept away when  
the beast threw her aggressively across the street, making her hit against  
a pile of junk and quickly curling up in protection from few small junks  
falling unto her. She waited for it to end and quickly recovered to glance  
towards the creature continuing to cover its broken eye in pain. Causing  
her to smile from this, she got up to run towards the weapon again, her  
leg now beginning to grow numb from the pain.  
"Come on leg," she groaned, "don't give up on me now!"

After some struggles, she finally got there and bent down to get it.  
Suddenly, she heard a roar of defeat and lost her footing when the ground  
shook from the creatures footsteps. She turn to aim her weapon towards  
the beast, only to notice that the beast wasn't right behind her. Instead,  
the footsteps started to sound further away and turned to her left side to  
see the cat beast running off towards the further distance of city.  
"Damn..." Her eyes widened and tried to get up in order to catch up and  
reach out towards it.  
"No, wait!"  
It was only then that she realized that it was too far away to get to follow it  
in time and tripped again. She watched, panting, and stared at it until she  
can no longer see it. The single braided head stitchpunk's panting then  
grew in frustration, causing her to throw her weapon away and later hiss  
from the pain on the back on her left leg.

"Scientist..." She muttered again while looking down at her leg, "I almost  
had it."  
She then turned her leg a bit to see how bad the wound on the back was.  
Luckily, it was nothing but a small cut on her burlap. But she rest her hand  
nearby the injury and let out an exhausted sigh.  
"She is going to kill me if she sees this."  
Her gazing towards her injury was then caught off by another sound  
coming from a pile behind her. Staring at it for a while, she reached as  
much as she can to grab her knife weapon again and cautiously move  
over to where the sound is coming from.  
"Who's there?" She called out in case it was a stitchpunk from her  
group,"come out here!". Nothing was heard or coming out.  
She then braced herself if it was a spider beast as she continued on very  
close to the pile.

Then, just as she was about to peak behind it, she felt something grab  
her chest and pull her in. As the stranger began covering her mouth, she  
made a muffle shout of fear and tried her best to squirm her way out of its  
grip.  
"19! 19!"  
Her squirming was interrupted by her eyes getting blinded by a bright  
light and tried to squint open to see two bright eyes staring down at her.  
"Hey," it's glowing eyes then flickered off, revealing a normal optic of a  
concerned female stitchpunk, "it's just me."  
This caused the white one to have a huge confusion.  
"Shweventween?" She muffled and pulled the other female's hand away  
from her mouth before she scooted back a bit.

"Please don't try to leave!"  
"What are you doing here?" She narrowed, causing 17 to frown.  
"7 wanted me to-"  
"7?" She already realized the answer to her question when she mentioned  
that, "Now she made you SPY on me?!"  
"I apologize 19," she clasped her had together shyly, "I just can't disobey  
a leader's order."  
"What? And try to get yourself in danger too?"

17 grew silent from this and just watched as she let out a frustrated sigh  
before leaning her back on the junk pile. Then something else popped  
into her head.  
"And why didn't you come out like I asked you to? I thought you were a  
beast!"  
"Oh...well" she looked away, trying to process on how to answer this.  
"17," she looked at her suspiciously.  
"It's just..." She sighed and looked back at her.  
"I was just worried you would run off the same way you did with 16."  
19 remained silent in slight disbelief.

 **llllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll**

 ** _In the Emptiness_**

 ** _llllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll_**

Despite that the sky was starting to get a bit bright, 17 still let her optics  
light up their way towards their destination. Sensing that 19 was still  
upset about the incident when they crossed past the stitchpunk's former  
home base, she slightly turned her head towards her, making sure her  
bright light wasn't aiming at her eyes.  
"I know it really hard to understand your mother, 19," she then pointed her  
face back to their direction, "but she only does this because she loves  
you and she wants to keep you safe."  
"But how long will she keep me in that place. I'm turning two tomorrow.  
My dad destroy the machine just the day after he awoken."  
"Yes," the older one dip her head in a slight frown, "but you're really  
different from 9. He was...more mature and...clever."

19 was feeling uncomfortable by this sentence, which made 17 grow  
anxious.  
"Now don't get me wrong, sweetie. What I'm trying to say is that he got  
others to help him."  
"I think what you were trying to say to me is to end up getting 10 and 7  
killed if I was ever in a situation like what he went through. Thanks for the  
advice, 17."  
She then turned her face away, causing the three-ponytailed stitchpunk to  
frown more.  
"19," she gently spoke out, "I'm really sorry that you don't often get along  
with 7. I may never know what having a mother is like, but I know what It  
must be like not getting much attention from someone."

The white burlap's narrow then soften a bit.  
"I wish she can just pay attention and listen to me for once."  
"She's just been through a lot," she placed her hand on her shoulder,  
"you know that."  
She just remained silent and decided to let her think about it as they they  
continued walking. Around fifteen minutes of this, 17 looked up at  
something.  
"Were here," she said and flickered her lights off, causing 19 to see the  
library building that was now home of the stitchpunks. As they were  
walking past the front yard, they were stopped by another stitchpunk that  
jumped off one of the statues and landed in front of the duos on all fours.  
Her empty eyes glared at them and 17 took a step towards her.  
"It's just us,15."

When she said this, the other white stitchpunk crawled up towards 17 and  
stroke her face before tracing them towards her ponytails. Recognizing  
her by this, she then crawled past her, tapping her hands until she can  
feel 19's shoe. She then slightly stood to touch her head too.  
"Good," her deep feminine voice can be heard, "you brought her back  
safely. 7 wants to speak to you,19."

She then ran off to the entrance, her bell, clinging on her front belt, ringing  
along. They then followed her, having hard time catching up with her  
despite usually being on all fours. By the time they were finally reaching  
the entrance, 19 can already see 7 approach 15.  
"She found her."  
It was after the blind stitchpunk said this was when the female leader  
looked up to meet her daughter's eyes, making her let out a huge sigh of  
relief.  
"Oh thank the scientist," she murmured and rush up towards her to  
immediately wrap her hands around her.  
Although she felt comfortable by her mother's warmth, she also felt a bit  
irritated on how she still sees her as a mindless new-awoken stitchpunk.  
And she already knew what was coming next when she pulled away from  
her, who was already narrowing at her.  
"How many times did I tell you not to go out there?"  
"7-"  
"This is the third time this happened! Someday, I'll have to get 10 to  
watch over you!"

"Did somebody mention my name?"  
All females turned to see 10, who stopped right when he got into the  
room with a ball of yarn and fabrics. He then turn to 19 in a blank  
expression.  
"You went out again?"  
"Not right now 10," 7 told him, "Im having a talk with her."  
He felt a bit impatient by this and opened his mouth only to shyly close it.  
"7," 19 spoke out again, "you don't always have to keep me in here like  
this."  
"You'll take care of yourself when you are ready," she tried brushing off  
the dirt from her burlap, "you still have to learn how to be a good fighter."  
"But my skills has gotten better while I was outside," she convinced her, "I  
even almost killed-"

Her words were immediately cut off when she closed her lips tightly from  
accidentally slipping some words out. 7 was now giving her this confused  
look.  
"You almost killed out what?"  
She then turned to 17 for an answer, which caused the 19 to glance at her  
in fear. When the older female glanced at the younger female, she can  
already read her expression that she was going to feel guilty on what she  
is about to say.  
"19 tried to fight off a cat beast in the Emptiness."  
"She what?!" She exclaimed with her eyes shrinking a bit in shock and  
quickly turning back to her daughter.

"7," she responded to her in concern while she walked towards her, "you  
have to listen to me."  
"Oh boy," 15 chuckled by this scene, causing 17 to glance at her in slight  
confusion while 10 glared at her. While this was happening, the oldest  
stitchpunk investigated her body for any injuries until she noticed the cut  
on the back of her leg.  
"Mom," she finally was growing serious enough to call her that, "it's  
nothing too seri-ah!"  
She made a soft shout of pain when she stroked her cut, causing her to  
look so concern.  
"Oh scientist..."

"Let me see it," 10 put his stuff on the ground and walked next to her  
before kneeling down to look at it. He then smiled in relief.  
"It's not that bad," he turned to the leader, "just needs a little stitching  
and will be good as new-"  
"I know that!"  
10 was taken back by this, never letting his irritated look turn away from  
her face. He watched her look up towards the injured one's face.  
"19," she gently stood up to easily face her, "I thinks it better that we  
makes sure you never leave this place until you're fully trained."

"What?!" Her face went into disbelief, "but you can't just...w-what if I  
never become like you?!  
"I know you will," she placed her hand unto her shoulder, "that's why we  
are going to do our training tomorrow."  
"But that's not fair!"  
"Why?" The elder's face turned into suspicion, "because I never give you  
the chance to defeat me in battle training?"  
"Because 9 never even had to be as strong as you to defeat the  
machine!"  
7 froze in silent when she mentioned his name. Then she finally glared at  
her in anger.  
"But he was atleast more understanding and respective as you."

10 finally couldn't take this anymore, especially when he saw his friend's  
complete discomfort from her anger. But he just tried not to join the  
argument and just stepped up saying to 7,  
"I'm going to go ahead and take her to my room to stitch her up. I'll try to  
talk to her."  
7 just looked at him for a while and sighed.  
"Fine," she responded, "just make sure she doesn't go out again."  
"Y...yes,7."  
He then turn to 19 with a dipping nod and led her out of the room.

Trying to cool her annoyance and anger down, she glance back for a  
moment to see 7 let out a huge exhausted sigh while 17 shyly walked up  
to her to have a conversation, but it was too soft to hear.  
"Your not joining her side too, right?" 19 asked the healer.  
"No," 10 answered, "but I am not even going to confront her. I think you  
should do the same thing."  
"But if I do that-"  
"We'll try to explain this in my room."  
19 decided to just remain silent the rest of the walk, not wanting to argue  
with her friend too.

 **lllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll**

"Ah!" 19 cried out by a strong sting on the back of her leg as she was  
lying on her belly to let 10 stitch her wound up.  
"Sorry 19," the brown flower headed stitchpunk glanced up at her, "but I  
told you that it was going to sting a lot."  
She let out a huge sigh of relief when the most painful part of the wound  
quickly faded, making her feel more like remaining her head on her folded  
arms as a resting spot.  
"Atleast the most wounded area is taken care of," 10 then smiled, "that  
means that the pain is going to sooth down in the next few stitches."

"Yeah," she made an exhausted mutter while lifting her head a bit to  
glance at the healer, "I can already tell that its getting o-", She this time let  
out a hiss of a slight softer sting, causing her face to collapse back on her  
arms.  
"Almost done," 10 started being concentrative, "just a few more."  
She just remain silent, no longer wanting to talk by the dizziness that  
unexpectedly was beginning to fill her head. How it came in by just small  
stings on her small cut was something she can never explain herself. She  
just decided to let it slide and took in two more stings that made her  
wince less.  
"One more..."

The last sting was finally something soft enough to make her stop  
wincing, making her glad that it was finally over and her leg felt great  
again. She then lifted her head again in dizziness to watch 10 pick up a  
nail clipper on the other side of the room. By the time he came back with  
it, it took him two snips to cut off the remaining hanging yarn.  
"There we go," he put the nail clipper under the clinic bed, "it should hold  
well enough."  
But 19 looked at him in confusion asking,  
"How come you should have just used a scissor over there to cut it off?"

The brown buttoned shirt male glanced at the scissor hanging on the  
wall and shrugged.  
"I guess I was just thinking that you would get uncomfortable with me  
using that on you."  
He then turned to her a bit puzzled.  
"Besides, I often see you start getting pretty jumpy whenever you get  
close to a sharp object."  
She was about to tell him off a bit that she never does that. But then she  
froze to think about it, realizing that although she doesn't mind carrying  
sharp weapons, she does often get more freaked out seeing sharp stuff  
close to her than all the other stitchpunks here.

But she shrugged, trying to shake the strange thought off. Possibly just  
her unusual self.  
"I just noticed something," she looked at 10, who was starting to show a  
slight concern, "you don't look so well."  
"How come?"  
"You look as if you're about to faint," he walked up to her to touch her  
forehead, "and you DO feel pretty warm. Do you feel like fainting?"

"How am I suppose to know?" She narrowed a bit, "I never fainted  
before."  
"What do you feel?"  
"Just dizzy and weak from the pain."  
He pointed at her in approval.  
"DEFINITELY a fainting symptom."  
But he then investigated her expression more replying,  
"Though looking at it now, it doesn't seem to look bad. But I'll just turn on  
the conditioner just in case. Just roll your back on the bed so it can help  
your consciousness," he helped her out until she got unto the position he  
wanted.  
"Perfect," he smiled again, "I'll be right back."

And by saying this, he quickly left the room, causing the youngest  
stitchpunk to feel weirded out on being alone in her best friend's room.  
But she did notice that as minutes went by, she was starting to feel a little  
better. It was then when she realized this, she heard a whirring and  
breezing sound, giving her a message that 10 managed to turn the air  
conditioner on. It only took few more minutes for the healer to return.  
"Alright," he sighed in a bit of exhaustion, but in a slight pride of his work,  
"it should take a while to actually feel the breeze come in. How are you  
feeling."

"I'm honestly feeling better," she made a soft smile, "thanks, 10."  
10 gave a friendly warm smile by her thankful response.  
"I will have to make you sleep in my room for tonight in case of any  
serious occasion. I wanna make sure that you're healing fine before I  
leave you off the hook."  
"Hm," she smiled more, "sounds more like a little sleepover party."  
The male let out a chuckle,  
"I guess it sort of does. But I do love that encouraging spirit of yours."  
"Yeah," she chuckled tiredly back, "I guess your right."

They laughed about it for a while until it soften. 10 then tried to think of  
something else to say to make this conversation not look awkward in being  
silent.  
"Oh yeah, I almost forgot to tell you what you think about your new  
stitches."  
"Oh," her smile disappeared in slight embarrassment, "I think the  
dizziness made me have a hard time seeing it. So..."  
She tried lifting herself, causing 10 to grow anxious.  
"Here pal," he came up towards her, "let me help you,"  
"No no," she quickly responded, finally getting her chance to fully sit up  
before leaning back on the wall, "I think I got it."

She turned her leg to see a colored tiny stitch on the back of her left leg,  
making her look at her friend in confusion.  
"Blue?"  
"Yeah," he nodded, "I was thinking that since blue was your favorite color  
and 14 and 17 were lucky enough to find that colored yarn in the  
Emptiness, I thought it would be well suited to have. It also matches the  
color of your long braid."  
"Oh...well, thanks," she made a small smile, "though I will be honest that  
this thing is going to be hard getting use to."

"It's not that hard to get use to," he placed his hand on it, "almost  
everybody here have wounded stitches. Even 9 had one."  
19 paused, staring at him in confusion.  
"He did?"  
"Nobody told you that? He had red stitches on his shoulder,"  
"Nobody ever told me that,10."  
"Yeah, he got that when he first encountered a cat beast. Now that I think  
about it," he made a teasing smile, "I just realized how both of you got  
your first cut from a cat beast. Only except that you got them in a different  
body part."

"I'm sure its just a coincidence," she rolled her eyes, "but who told you  
that?"  
"9 use to tell me some stories when he was around. But now that  
he...left," he felt uncomfortable trying to find a good word to say it while  
he was walking to his messy equipment desk, "I just kind of wish he could  
of told me more. It does get a bit lonely here without him."  
She did felt saddened by this, feeling guilty that she is the only one that  
never met him and having to watch the others tell stories of how much he  
was such a great leader and how everything changed from his passing.  
She can only think of one person that was suffering this the most.

"I'm sure 7 has it the worst,"  
"I can already see that," he made sound like it was so obvious, "she  
hasn't been herself since then. I'm okay with her being so down about it  
for a week or so. But it already been two years. Sometimes it's better to  
keep taking care of ourselves mourning for the rest of our lives."  
She watched him later mutter in annoyance by how messy his desk was  
as he started arranging it. She let out a sad sigh.  
"What I don't understand about her is why she often tries to avoid me. I  
mean, it's not like I hurt her in the past,"  
"Heck if I know," his eyes never left the desk, "maybe because your face  
is like 9's?

"Ugh!" She lift her head up in annoyance, "and why does everybody  
keep saying that I look like my dead father?!"  
She got off the clinic bed, which made her left leg ache a lot to almost  
loose balance. 10, heard her get up and quickly turn in worry, only to  
notice that she seems to get it by holding onto the bed.  
"I mean be honest with me, 10. I don't look look like him. Right?"  
He decided to just look at her face closely and hopefully agree with her.

But he may have accidentally focus her face hard enough to notice that  
she DID look like him. In fact, it almost looked as if his former mentor was  
standing right in front of him. Silently freaked out by this, he had no idea  
how he was going to say this.  
"Yeah," he tried to process this, "about that."  
He obviously expected to see the white burlap to be so unamused about  
this.  
"You disappoint me sometimes,"  
"Hey," he watched her rest her forehead against the wall, "it's not that  
bad. I mean, your eyebrows are a bit smaller and you have 7's mouth. But  
although you still look like him sometimes, it's not like it can fetch  
anybody's attention-"  
"It actually does when your mother sees her dead mate's face on her  
daughter's face!"

10 feel silent with his eyes widening by her sudden snap.  
"And what if I AM him? What if I don't remember anything? That would  
make me your mentor. And that would make my mom my...my-"  
"Okay," 10's voice grew serious, "you just have to stop."  
19 grew shock by his reaction and turn to see his upset look.  
"What?"  
"That's dumb. There is no way that just because you have half his soul,  
doesn't mean you're a reincarnated version of him. If you really were, you  
wouldn't talk extremely dumb stuff like that!"

She showed a mixture of guilt and embarrassment by these words, which  
made 10 soften his anger a bit.  
"I didn't mean to make you feel bad, but you have to understand that I  
both have half the souls of 5 and 2. But that doesn't mean I'm either of  
them. And I know that because I met 5."  
She stared at him in huge confusion.  
"You what?"  
"Long story, but you have to understand almost all of our souls are related  
to the original stitchpunks. The only original one here now is 7. But it  
doesn't change the fact that two souls can fuse enough to make a new  
one. It's just something what makes all of us different. It what makes you  
19," he placed his hand on her shoulder, "you're like a sister to me. And  
there's nothing I would replace you for."

She just remained silent for a while before letting out another sigh that is  
this time a sigh of guilt and press her forehead back on the wall. He didn't  
say anything but patted her shoulder twice to comfort her before going  
back to arrange his desk. All the youngest could think of was how dumb  
she acted in front of him. What if that's why 7 never let her outside? What  
if it's true that she's just irresponsible and immature as people say she is?  
She then look down in in defeat.  
Dad would be so proud me, she sarcastically thought.

"Aw, damn it!"  
She snapped back into reality and turned to see her friend upset about  
something.  
"What's wrong?"  
"I forgot my freaking stuff in the entrance. It's not that big of a deal," he  
turned to her, "I'll just have to go over there to get it."  
"Actually," she limply walked up to him, "I'll do it."  
He received a surprise and worried expression.  
"No 19," he told her, "you're leg is still stiff,

"It's doesn't feel that bad. Don't worry, it's rarely even far."  
He paused and took a look at her leg. Despite that it's still limping, it  
looks like it can still make few miles.  
"Fine," he sighed, "but you have to promise me that you will get someone  
to carry it back here."  
"I will," she smiled and began walking away.  
"If you're leg starts feeling worse, don't move. Just wait for somebody to  
carry you back,"  
"Got it," she glanced back and continue walking. 10 frowned more in  
concern.  
"Um, make sure to watch your step."

She stopped and sigh, turning back towards him.  
"10..."  
"Right, sorry," he rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment, "you  
can leave now."  
"It won't be long," she promised before leaving the room


	3. Episode 1: In the Emptiness pt2

"Ugh!" A red helmet dwarf stitchpunk collapsed on the ground with a rope wrapped a bit on one of his legs. Behind him, a one-eye male stitchpunk was holding an ink pen and notebook with a female dark stitchpunk sitting on the floor at the right side of him and 17, with a smaller stitchpunk wearing a ring on his head, on the left side.  
"How much jump was that,13?" 17 asked the writer, who looked down at his note.  
"By counting it," he then wrote it down, "3 scores."  
This caused the blue bow one to let out a long gasp of happiness and turn back to the fallen stitchpunk.

"Did you hear that, 12?!" She called out in a childlike gleeful shout, "3 scores! That's your brand new record!"  
She then applauded in happiness, with the stitchpunk on 17's lap deciding to applaud too and shout out in his five years old voice,  
"Score!"  
"Yeah," 12 made sighed mutter, "trying to hurt yourself is worth receiving a high score."  
"Now all you have to do is make four more jumps and you can beat MY high score!" She then lean close to 13, "my score is 6, right?"  
"Yep," he was saying this while marking the dwarf male in 2nd place of the game.

"Actually," he made a sarcastic chuckle and pull the rope off his leg, "I think I'm done with this today. Maybe in a week or so I'll try again," he got up and stretched his aching body from all the fall he went through.  
"Alright then," she smiled again and turn to the ring stitchpunk, "how about you give it a try, 14?"  
He gave a nod and switched with 12, letting the the red helmet one to sit right next to the other dwarf. He then then lean close to her in an unamused expression and whispered,  
"Just a little advice, don't ever make me do that again."

"Aw come on 12," she gave him a friendly look, "it wasn't that bad. I can tell you're going to want to do that again."  
"Hmph," he replied, "you should be lucky that I still have the gut to do everything for you,"  
"Don't be silly," she giggled, "you don't always have to do everything just because I'm your twin."  
He glanced at her for a moment.  
"Yeah, whatever."

As 14 was trying to process how this rope works, 19 limply enters the room, causing everybody to turn towards her.  
"Hey 19," 17 spoke out, "shouldn't you be in 10's room?"  
"10 said that I can walk around for a bit."  
"What happened to her leg?" The bow headed stitchpunk worriedly turn to the younger female.  
"It's nothing too serious 11," she made a friendly smile, "she just had a little fight with a cat beast.

"Was the beast friendly?" The older one continued asking.  
"Idiot," 12 mutter, "of course not. Why else did it injured her freaking leg?"  
"I suggest you don't be harsh on her 12," 13 sounded calm with the harsh dwarf, "let her stick with her theory."  
"Don't worry," she said this to the writer, "he's always like this to me."  
"You want me to sent you out to the Emptiness?" 12 did not look happy by his sister's response. 19 looked at them for a while, not exactly certain how it's possible the twins still stick together.

But she just shook the thought off and turn to the other female.  
"Sorry to interrupt on this...um, game-"  
"It's an old human hobby called jumprope," 13 corrected her, "11 reinvented it,"  
"Yeah that," 19 replied and turn back to her, "but 10 accidentally left his item at the entrance when we came into the building, but I couldn't find it anywhere. Did you put it somewhere?"  
"Oh right!" Her eyes widened in realization, "I should have put it in his room, but I forgot that he was still using it. I put it in the attic. But I notice that your leg is still healing, so do you want me to help you carry it to his room?  
"That's exactly what I was about to ask you next,"  
"Alright then," she stood up, "and you're certain you can follow me over there?

"10 said that I can walk for about several minutes. Besides, I wouldn't want you to walk all the way here just to get me and escort me all the way to his room."  
"That sounds like a good idea," she smiled, "let's get going."  
They were walking off when 17 felt a tug on her purple dress and turned to see 14 give out a pleading look.  
"Alright," she chuckled and petted his ring helmet, "I can use a little extra hand.

Then, 11 started to get up in interest.  
"I'll come too-!"  
"No," 12 said in a stern tone while pulling her blue shirt and place her back down on the floor, "you stay here,"  
"But what if they need help?"  
"I think they have enough help. And who knows what you might try to do up there?"  
11 still wanted to go, but she then finally decide to sit there in slight sadness, not willing to make her brother upset. The three remaining stitchpunks just remained in the room as they watch the others leave the room.

 **llllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll**

17 put a lot effort to it, but it was worth pulling the grey water bucket lifter up to the attic. 19 literally didn't expect it to be so dark since she never been here before. But she felt lucky to choose 17 to help with her ability to glow her eyes. As soon as the older female flickered them on, she told 19,  
"I'm sure that the fabrics and yarn is somewhere over there," she pointed at the right corner side of the crowded room, "So just stay around in here until we get them...oh!" She turned back to her when she was about to go over there, "I almost forgot to tell you that this place is really messy. So just try to be careful with that leg of yours.

"Yeah," she was already getting a bit tired on the leg advices, "I will."  
17 smiled and then walked off with 14 following her. Already having nothing to do, she looked around until she caught an interesting sight a wooden looking box with a handle on the left side, making it look like that it can be a music box. But what really got her curious was a note just taped and hanging on the front edge of it, written in small sentence.

She glanced at 17 beginning to pick out the fabrics and given some to 14 before carefully walking over there and following her advice by watching her steps on few objects on the ground. As she got there, she can see the writing clearer in a handwriting that she can't recognize in such an odd way. But as her pupils shrunk in concentrating it from the darkness, it read:

 ** _My beloved moonlight,_**

 ** _Give it to 19 when he or she is ready._**

 ** _Your sunshine,  
9_**

Her eyes widened by that last thing she read.  
"Oh!" She was startled after few seconds of being speechless and quickly turned her head towards the duos again. She noticed that several fabrics has fallen around 14's shoes and he then looked up at his friend in embarrassment.  
"Oh don't worry little friend," she smiled at him and placed down the yarn she started carrying, "you don't have to carry every single one of them. Here, let me help you with that."

Making sure they were still distracted with their task, the white burlap decided to make it quick. She pry open the box and peeked into it. In there, it looked like some sort of mechanical projector. But looking a bit dust up, it looks like it hasn't been used in years. Remembering the lever she saw earlier, she moved to the right side of the box to get another view of it. She was about to move closer and reach out to reel the lever when she was stopped by something else she saw inside the box.

On the back right corner of the remaining gaped space it had, laid a strange object lying right side up and having tons of tiny symbol on all it's side. She curiously pulled her hand away from the lever and instead use both of her hand to lift the object out of the box. She turned it in its upright position to reveal a half sphere object that was about the size enough to nearly fit two of her hands.

On the top sphere surface, it's carving was divided in three and had each strange symbols printed on it. She then decided to turn it over to glance at the bottom, which was flat surfaced and had three tiny holes. Investigating it closely, it almost looks as if it can be plugged into something. But few seconds after looking at it, she decided to look back at the top surface. She decided to feel one of the symbols out of curiosity, noticing how the surface of is actually a bit gaped than just thinking it was painted there.

She playfully press and trace her finger a bit in it, but accidentally press it hard enough to see it be pushed down like a button. The symbol immediately glowed green and let out a strange eerie sound, causing her to startled. But she later recovered to look at it in wonder. She look at another symbol on left side of the glowing one and pressed it. But when she did this, the remaining glowing symbol glowed red and immediately stop glowing, with the sound dying with it.

She was taken back a bit in disappointment and guessed she must have pressed the wrong one.  
"Alright," 17's voice can be heard, "I think that's all of them. Let's get going before somebody wants to use the lifter."  
With them walking past by her and chatting along, 19 decided to press the button she first pressed earlier, causing it to glow with the same sound again.

Then after a pause, she this time pressed a symbol on the right side, causing it to glow green too. 17 and 14 were already on the lifter and put their things down until the female one noticed that the youngest one still wasn't standing there. She looked up to see the braided stitchpunk facing away from her, not realizing that her body was blocking the view of the strange object.  
"Hey 19," she tried to smile, "what's on your mind?"  
But the white burlap didn't respond, and instead pressed the last button.

All of a sudden, her eyes widened in shock when she felt the object shake violently, causing her to take a few steps back and trying to hold it as much as possible. Her body moving awkwardly like this finally made the older one worry and walk up towards her.  
"19-?"  
She finally couldn't hold it anymore, watching it fly out of her hand and landing on the floor a bit far enough to make 17 see it. Her eyes flickered off by this sight and the object took another violent shake before it flew open in a huge greenish glow. 19 remained frozen in front of it in shock.

17's faced flush in realization that 19 wasn't moving.  
"Wait," she rushed towards her in panic, "NO!"  
She jumped unto her and collapse on the ground in time for the energetic light to shoot out into the ceiling, letting out a crumbling sound. It didn't take more than a second for the duos to recover and look up in fear.  
"Don't stand there," 17 quickly stood and pulled her up, "move!"  
She immediately obeyed her and ran for cover before parts of the ceiling started falling in. All 14 can do while this whole scene was happening was just bent down in the lifter and stare, whimpering in horror.

 **lllllllllllllllllllllllllll**

"Sometimes I always tell myself that if I ever end up having kids, I'm going to try to be as patient with them as possible."  
7 looked at the second youngest stitchpunk in the group while listening to her in 16's workshop. The genderless was nearby the table, sharpening up some weapons that it made while listening to their conversation.  
"But you would, of course, get mad at them if they still behaved like that," 7 asked.  
"Well of course," she made a shy chuckle, "but what I'm saying is that I would do anything to not to be too hard on them, but if not, I would have to do it for the sake of their future."  
"Hm," she turned her eyes away in sadness, "I often feel the same way for her."

"I wouldn't really worry much," 18 replied, "but I also don't wanna try giving advices to a mother. But if you are really willing to help out with this, just try to take it easy on her. She's still really young. I'm sure you were just like her when you were around her age."  
She then thought about before remembering it in an amusing smile.  
"Actually," she chuckled, "I was. But I was mostly like that when 1 was taking over the group."  
But her smile quickly disappeared when she mentioned the deceased stitchpunk.  
"I hated him..."

Those three words made it awkward enough for 16 to stop sharpening a weapon and both stared at her silence. After glancing at each other, 18 cleared her throat.  
"But,um...did 9 hate 1?" 7 snapped back to reality, "I think you told me something about that."  
"Yeah," the eldest nodded a bit. But she froze to think about her answer.  
"Actually...kind of. 9 kind of had this hatred for him different than mine. You see-"

Her explanation was caught off when a night light in 16's room started to flicker a bit before the light began to fade out. There was then slight rumbling being heard in a higher floor, causing 18 to anxiously crept unto 16 and wrap her arms around it, which it didn't seem to bother. 7 just stared upwards in the mixture of confusion and worry.  
"Some sort of earthquake?" 16 asked and decided to prepare to hold a weapon in case it might be an ambush.

"Can't be," 7 murmured, "the only time the lights can flicker like this..."  
She froze for a while in wonder until her eyes widened in fear from her realization.  
"Oh no," she quickly got up and ran out of the room, "no, no, no!"  
The remaining duos glanced at each other again one last time and quickly ran out of the room too, with 16 holding its sharp fork as a weapon.

 **lllllllllllllllllllllllll**

17 had her arms tightly around 19. With the youngest half buried onto the older one, she looked around in the mixture of confusion and fear as she continued watching the ceiling crack or see some fall onto the ground. She could imagine how worried the older one was with the fact that she can still hear 14 letting out a loud whimper of fright and willing to try to risk herself just to run over to him.

The light suddenly started taking an unbalanced position before it broke off, causing the shooting light to absorb back unto the object and make the object close shut. Waiting several seconds to know its clear, 17 released her grip on her and cautiously peeked out from a teapot that they were hiding behind. 19 decided to peek out too from the other side to see the whole floor covered in pieces of debris, with the strange object fading out its glows.

They remained silent in shock and 17 decided to walk out of their hiding spot when she only ran back in fear from more of the ceiling collapsing. As the ceiling formed a small hole, another huge object caved into the room and fell right next to the object, letting out a small spark. Revealing to be a dead spider beast, it only took a second from the cause of a spark to start burning on fire.  
"H..." 17 moved back out in complete confusion, "h-how is that thing...?"  
She then shook her head and became serious.  
"It doesn't matter now," she turned to 19, "get the emergency teacup while I grab the talisman.

"The tali-what?"  
"Just go get it!"  
The youngest grew a bit alerted by this and decided to ask her about it later. She ran to the right side of the room and grab a teacup of water that was being filled by a raindrop coming out of a pipe attached to a wall. 17 grabbed the strange object away in time for 19 to come in and pour water on the burning corpse. The fire let out a hiss before dying out with only the smoke remaining. They panted, still trying to calm down from this unexpected experience.

"Sev...17!" They heard 14 cry out and turn to see him run toward the purple dressed stitchpunk and watch him wrap his arms around her waist in a tearless sob. She frowned and bent down.  
"Shh shh," she wrapped one arm around him since her other one was still holding the round object, "it's okay. It's over now."  
19 was now in complete guilt while she watched her hug him tighter, just by seeing how activating it could scare a child-like stitchpunk.

"But," she tried looking for a bright side, "atleast nobody got hurt."  
"No," 17 murmured, "there's no such thing as 'hurt' when it comes to this thing."  
She raised her hand to look at the talisman while still hugging the male.  
"It can immediately kill anyone."  
The white one glanced at it too in silence, now even more curious, but this time a bit cautious with it.  
"Then why do you guys leave it up there?"

She paused before narrowing.  
"What I don't understand is why 7 didn't tell me it was up here. If she would have told me, I would have warned you about it. Or never even took you up here."  
This caused 19 to frown more.  
"I'm sorry."  
17 looked up at her with a frown back, but she can deeply read that the older one knew she regrets her action. What she doesn't know was if she was willing to forgive her.

"Hey," 16's voice can be heard on a pipe, "is everything okay up there-?"  
"WHAT HAPPENED?!" 7's voice then broke out in complete worry. 17 walk up to the pipe and bent down the opening area.  
"Everything's alright," she answered, "19 just found the talisman, but she didn't get killed from it,"  
"LET ME HEAR HER!"  
17 turned to her.

"19-"  
"I know," she sighed and walked up with 17 letting her take her spot. She bent down saying,  
"It's okay 7, I'm not dead."  
"Oh dear goodness!" 7 was in complete relief and almost look as if she was about to sob.  
"Just calm down, mom...calm down."

She waited for her murmurings and pantings to stop.  
"Just come down here. Please."  
The youngest looked up towards 17 before she watched her look back down at the talisman.  
"I have to ask her about this anyway. Let's go."  
19 and 14 followed her to the lifter. By the time 19 was the last to get in, 17 began to lower the lifter, looking at the box she never got to finish investigating before loosing sight of it.

 **llllllllllllllllllllllllllll**

"Oh what am I going to do with this child?" The elder's face was covered by her hand when the moving rope signaled that the lifter was lowering.  
"Just remember what I said 7," she looked at her worriedly, "I'm sure it was just an accident."  
11 and 12 were there too after seeing 7 running past the room in panic with 18 and 16 following her. 11 was just willing to see what was going on so much for her brother to have no choice but to go with her.

Not like he cared much about 19 or anything, but seeing one of the stitchpunks here die would pretty much freak him out. 11 just waited in worry.  
"I can imagine how scary it must have been up there," 11 told her twin, "it would take a while to cheer them up from whatever situation it was."  
"Well it has to do something with the talisman," he crossed his arms, "nothing can make lights flicker than that piece of crap. Only a dumb youngster like 19 could have activated it. Though I am curious of what exactly happened with that talisman up there. Let's hope nobody got killed from her.

"It can't be when nobody is panicking," 11 replied.  
"Hm, let's hope you're right about something."  
Right after he said this, 15 rushed into the room with 10, who was carrying a backpack filled with medical stuff.  
"Is everything ok?!" 10 asked worriedly, "I heard something from 15 that the talisman-!"  
His words cut off when everybody looked up to see the bucket lowering, revealing 19, 17, and 14 on it. When it went to a stop, 17 opened the door, revealing to the healer that they got the stuff he wanted.

"Oh 19," 7 murmured and rushed towards her when she got out in order to place her hand on her shoulder and stroke her daughter's cheek. 11 smiled in relief, but was then apologized by 10 when he shyly pushed her out of the way and went passed the crowd.  
"Is anybody hurt?" He asked by the time he got to the trios.  
"Nothing to worry about," 17 made small emotional smile, but disappeared when she looked at 14 hiding behind her shivering, "but 14 got scared from the experience."

10 bent down to investigate him and touch his forehead.  
"He's just in a little shock from it is all. Just put him down and let him take it easy,"  
"Thank you,10," she replied and did what he asked.  
"Now," he turned to see 7 narrowing at her "you better tell me what happened there."  
"It was my fault actually," she honestly spoke, "I found it inside this box and..."  
She then froze about remembering the note and looked at her in confusion.

"Why didn't you tell me that 9 wanted to give me it? What did he wanted to give it to me for?"  
Her mother let out an exhausted sigh.  
"You shouldn't have seen it yet,"  
"But you've been hiding it from me for two years," she took few steps towards her, "all these two years and I had know idea that my father had something he wanted to give me. Possibly the reason why he created me. What if it's something important if you kept something so dangerous up there?

"You're not ready for it-"  
"But when?!" The white burlap was beginning to loose her patience.  
"I'm sorry 7," they looked at 17, who's still trying to comfort 14, "but you never told me it was up there. I would have made her stay down here with 13 and the others,"  
"It's not your fault," 7 told her and turned back to the youngest.  
"19," she continued, "you are a wonderful girl. But you have to understand that I sometimes do this so you can be safe and healthy. When you are ready, I'll give you the talisman. But you don't even know what it is and it'll be hard to explain about it. Do you understand me?"

19 just sadly stared at her in silence.  
"Does 9 know if I'm ready?"  
7 froze there in thought. Then she made a sad sigh.  
"No," she made a soft tone, "he doesn't. You almost killed someone today."  
She then realized she said it the wrong way when she saw her daughter look hurt from that last sentence.  
"7..." 17 frowned in disbelief, alongside 10. The rest just look in blank stare or slight confusion. But 19 didn't pay attention to the crowd and just continued staring at her.

"Listen," 7 tried to walk up to her, "what I'm trying to say is-"  
"I know what you were trying to say," she took few steps away from her. She wanted to continue her explanation, but the very upset expression on her daughters face ended up choking her words, causing her to remain speechless.  
"I'm going to 10's room," she murmured and limply walked away.  
"Wait," 10 caught up to her and wrap his arm around her in aid, "I think you had enough solo walking today. I'll escort you.

He was expecting her to thank him, but she was in a bad mood enough to not respond and continue walking, letting him escort her out. While doing so, he took a glance at the the leader and was in a mixture of emotion whether to forgive her misunderstanding or not. 11 decided to approach 7 and gently held her hand.  
"Hey," she gave a friendly smile, "you wanna play jumprope?"  
"Not right now, 11,"  
"But it's really fun! It's an old human hobby that I brought back-"  
"11," she looked down at the dwarf serious, "when I say no, I really meant no."

This caused her smile to quickly disappear.  
"But-"  
Her brother walked up to her and rest his hand on her in a narrow,  
"You can't do anything. Just leave her alone."  
She look at her brother, then at 7 before lowering her head in defeat and sadly walked away. 17 looked at the female dwarf leaving with her twin in pity, knowing that she was only trying to cheer her up. But knowing that 12 will handle her, she stroke 14 in comfort one last time and got up to approach the eldest.

"Why did you say such things to her?"  
"You know 17," she watched the youngest's body disappear from the room, "that's the same thing I'm asking myself."

 **lllllllllllllllllllllllllll**

"Come, on 12," 11's voice can be heard in a room next to 10's, "just another game?"  
"Not when I'm about to sleep, fool!"  
"But come on!"  
"Oof!"  
"I want to playyy! I'm so borrred!"  
"Urgh, get your fragile body off of me!"

While these voices can be heard, 10 couldn't help but laugh while making his pillow-made bed.  
"Oh boy, there goes 11's energetic mode again. That poor guy is going to be so sore tomorrow morning."  
19 was feeling her head pound a bit while lying on the clinic from the irritating noises.  
"Do you always sleep like this?"  
"Well, when it comes to one of the voices being 11, I'm DEFINITELY ok with it."

19 just gave him a look as if he was crazy. But even when he read her expression, he just happily smiled.  
"She's amazing, right?"  
The white burlap pause for a moment, and instead rolled her eyes and loose sight of him. That was when the healer's smile quickly vanished.  
"You're still upset about 7, aren't you?"  
19 said nothing but dully shrug.

"Look," he frowned, "I'm upset with her too. But you have to understand that sometimes, you can't get things that you want,"  
"But this is something 9 wanted to give me before he died. I mean, why would he want to give it to me in the first place? What did that note mean about giving it to me 'when I am ready'? What makes him trust me that I am given this dangerous thing when he never even met me?

"I feel as if I can finally do something for once. Atleast know I wasn't created just to look like a complete idiot. What if it's something special that make me feel special for once?"  
10 frowned in silence and walked up to her. When he stopped, he said,  
"My beloved friend, you don't need to DO something special in order to BE special. I'm really certain that 9 has done mistakes before. And maybe even worst than yours.

"But if 9 really wants you to do something for him, then maybe 7 is right. Maybe you do need more training in order for the time to come. But if not, I'm sure that your father will be proud at you matter what. Maybe there is something else that will make you understand more on what you are capable of. But for now, you are capable on being my best friend."  
19 looked back at him and couldn't help but let out an emotional tired smile at him.

10 responded with a smile back and playfully rubbed her head.  
"You should get some rest," he told her, "tomorrow is a very special day."  
"Alright," she nodded a bit and let him cover half her body with a blanket. He afterwards walked out of the room for few seconds to turn off the light. He went to his bed and cozily laid down on it.  
"Goodnight old buddy," she called out in a slight smile.  
"G'night," responded 10 before yawning and took few minutes to fall into a deep sleep.

The female wouldn't really want to complain. That fellow had quite a long day. But an hour has passed and 19 couldn't find a chance to fall asleep. But it was not only the noises from 11 and 12's room. She laid there, looking up at the ceiling,with the picture of the talisman in her mind. The strange object that has these strange symbols all around it. The one that 17 explained to be dangerous enough to "kill anyone". She may have heard some stories of 9's journey, but they never told her the details about it.

All she knows is that 9 accidentally awakened a monstrous thing called "the Machine" that killed more than half of the original stitchpunks. How he ended up killing it with something that huge is something people never told her. Nor how it was awoken and killed several people. But if 7 has been making her avoid the talisman and with 17 telling her that it's dangerous, could it be the one that made these events possible?

The whole thought about it atleast made her feel drowsy. With the twins' voices beginning to soothe down, her eyes started to flicker shut. The last thing she thought before falling asleep was to she maybe try to figure this out tomorrow morning.

 **lllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll**

 **End of episode 1**


	4. Episode 2: We Have Rules pt1

The sun rose up on a less cloudy morning with the Emptiness getting showered by the light rain. With a window-sized hole on a wall of 10's room, it let the orange light flood the room. But despite the light appearing, not even one of them slightly open their eyes. Not a sound can be heard except for the slight snoring of the sleeping healer, and the sound of the rain. That is, until fast footsteps started to fade in.

19's eyebrows twitched from the sound until it was stopped for a moment. Deciding that it might that one of the stitchpunks woke up and walked away, she tried letting her mind drift back into slumber. But the footstep was heard again, close but gentle until she felt as if someone was next to her. She thought that 10 must have woken up to check on her. She decided to ignore him and tried sleeping again.

That was, until, she felt a small, but heavy object fall on the bed next to her.

"Huh?!" She jumped awake drowsily and heard somebody run off, "what?!"

She turned to some sort of book being covered by a paper with writings. She grumbled,

"10, if you're going to diagnose me, can you please do it softly?"

She heard the healer mumble something far off from her while rubbing her optics, realizing that he was still asleep.

"Hang on," he groaned tiredly, "I'll come in a moment."

After several seconds of rubbing them, she tiredly turn to see her friend beginning to sit up and rest his head on his hand. He then started yawning when 19 turned back to the writing, beginning to see more clear that 10's writing on his previous medical studies wasn't actually it. Instead, she realized it was a small note. The handwriting was scribbled, but it atleast wasn't hard to read.

 **I did not make it. I found it in the attic. Happy awakening day! With lots of hugs and Kissings. And smiles!**

 **-secret friend**

The note also ended with a drawing smiley face and lots of flowers on the bottom of the paper. She flipped it over for a second to see if there was more, but nothing. Hearing a hidden giggle, she looked up to see a familiar pale stitchpunk's face, half peeking out of the entrance door. The dwarf's giggle was cut by its short gasp when she saw it.

"Wait," the white burlap looked confused, "Ele-?"

It was only then that the stitchpunk disappeared and was heard running for two seconds until 19 heard a loud thump and later an "Oof!"sound.

She guessed that she must have tripped and was about to anxiously plan on trying to help her out until she can hear her stand up and continue giggling before her fast footsteps faded away. She stared at the door for a while and let her eyes settle back on the note. She pulled it away while she heard 10 getting out of his bed, revealing to be a dark blue handmade book with a black inked "19" written on it. She can already tell in her surprised expression that the handwriting was 9's.

As she was softly stroking the book cover, 10 came next her while rubbing his optics drowsily.

"Sorry it took a while," he flickered open his eyes, "what did you wanted to sa-?"

He blinked twice to notice the book on her lap, causing him to fully awaken.

"Where did you find this?" His voice sounded really concerned while he quickly sat next to her to place his hand on the book, "did you sneaked out last night?"

"No," she shook her head and glanced at him, "this book was just given to me by someone for my awakening day. I think 11 gave it to me."

"How do you know?" He then looked at the note lying near her shoes and picked it up. Reading it and looking at the drawings, he put it down saying,

"That was 11. But why would she go up in the attic just to give it to you?"

"I don't know," she shrugged, "I rarely even encounter her."

She then turned back to open the book, only to be interrupted by a thick hand closing it shut.

"Hey," her expression showed annoyance, "what was that for?"

"I'm sorry," his anxious look returned and try reaching his other hand to take away the book, "but I don't think you should be reading that."

"And what for," she pulled the book away, "because it's dangerous?"

"I just don't want you to get in trouble with 7," he frowned, "I saw how hurt you were from last night. And I won't let that happen to you again. Not on this day."

"And for what," she gestured to it, "from a book? The tailsman-"

"Talisman,"

"-is a mechanical device, which makes it more dangerous than the book since it's only made out of paper. I mean, what kind of danger can a paper do?!"

10 sighed and rest his hand on her shoulder,

"Listen 19, I'm just giving you some advices,"

"It'll be ok 10," she begged, "I know I messed up yesterday, but just make my first day in being two worth it. Please?"

10 stared at his friend. Then traced his eyes on the book. He realized in slight defeat that there was no way he can get her to turn away from it now that she saw it.

"Ok," he answered, "but don't take it too far,"

"No problem bud," she smiled, "thanks," and went back to reopening the book. He decided to stay sitting next to her just in case and later raised his face up to heavens.

 _Good souls, what I'm gonna do with this young girl?_ He thought. He then lowered his head back down and sighed again, despite 19 guessing that he was just exhausted.

This is a best day to start a new older her.

 **llllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll**

 ** _We have rules_**

 ** _lllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll_**

"You did what?!" 12 exclaimed and jumped awake from their small bed by his sister's answer.

"You said never to talk to her," she smiled, "so I said to myself, 'hey 11, why not instead talk to her, write a letter with a gift to her?"

"Writing something to someone is also part of talking, twerp!" He shouted angrily to her.

"Oh," she looked a bit surprised, "I'm sorry. You never told me that,"

"Then you should have asked me that two freaking years ago! Ugh," he collapsed his head back into the cotton as a pillow, "why do you have to be so mindless about everything, no matter what I do or say?"

Their small bedroom then grew silent, causing the female to blankly stare at him for a while. She tried thinking of something while rubbing her chin before letting out a smile from her idea.

She then paced towards him and jump unto him.

"Oof!"

"Hey," she pressed her cheek unto his while her brother formed a face of annoyance, "how about I sing you a song I made to cheer you up?"

"Leven-"

But it was already too late and she started singing,

"You're sure to do impossible thing, if you follow your hear-!"

"Will you stop it?!" He pushed her off him, giving her that blank stare again, "you already sang lots of songs to me last night! In fact, since you messed up quite enough, why don't you just leave my room?"

"Im guessing that 'my' word in your attitude language means 'our' then?" She chuckled. The other twin was finally getting really impatient.

"GET OUT OF MY ROOM!"

"Ok then," she just continued chuckling, "if you need me, I'll be where 17 and 14 usually are."

She then positively left the room and close the door behind her. Finally glad she left, he laid back down in exhaustion.

"Oh souls. Just...any souls," he muttered, "please give that girl a brain already."

 **llllllllllllllllllllllllllll**

The female dwarf happily skipped through the hall and humming the same song she tried to sing to 12, wondering as to what the duos over at the library room were doing this time. She was passing by the lifter room when she heard the lifter moving. She stopped skipping to turn in curiosity in seeing the lifter lowering with 7 and 17 in it. Oddly enough, when they lowered unto the ground and came out, she noticed that the younger female was carrying a strange black object, almost having an appearance of a beast.

But wanting to chat with her, she paced up to the girls and greeted them with,

"Good morning, friends! What were you doing up there?" She then looked at the huge object again, "and what is that thing?"

Reaching out to touch it, 17 to moved it away from her.

"Careful," she told her, "we don't know whether or not the spider beast can reawaken."

But hearing the word "beast" again, she curiously smiled with a question.

"Was the beast friendly?"

The duos exchanged a glance, knowing that despite hearing her ask this question a lot, they didn't want their response to upset her too much.

"No sweetie," 17 frowned, "I don't think so. It was already dead by the time me, 19, and 14 saw it fall into the attic."

"Oh," her hopeful smile quickly turn into a frown before looking down at the corpse, "but it could have been innocent and wanted else did it try sneaking in here?"

She reached her hand out again towards the beast, making the three-ponytailed stitchpunk open her mouth to tell her not to touch it again.

But she was stopped by the elder's hand clinging unto her, giving her the just-let-her-be look, but anxiously watched over the dwarf starting to pet it just in case. 11 continued petting it for a while, showing the face of pity towards the predator.

"Poor thing..." She murmured in sadness.

17 frowned by this, but later got something else in her mind and turned to 7.

"Do you think we should tell her this?" She asked in very soft tone, despite it being obvious that 11 can hear.

"I'm certain she'll understand," the white one murmured and turned to the smaller one, who was already staring blankly in confusion.

"11," she told her, "I'm going to go out and see...something. If anybody ask where I am, just tell them what I said. 17," she glanced at her, "can you please fetch 16 for me and tell him to come with me as a back up?"

Despite knowing that 16 was genderless, 17 has already decided to let her call it a "he" without a single complaint. she just dipped her head in approval and rushed to get it.

She waited till she was gone and turned back to her,

"I'll find 15 and leave her that she's in charge of the home base until we get back. While I'm looking for her, it's up to you to go over to 10 and watch over 19 for me. I don't want her causing any trouble on her awakening day,"

"But aren't we going to throw an awakening party for her?" She asked worriedly on how long she'll be gone.

"I don't know," she frowned, "it depends when I'll get back. But if you want, you can do the party for her and I will really appreciate that."

But her forming smile was cut off by the dwarf making an uncomfortable noise while desperately looking up to her.

"Is there something wrong?"

"I'm just not sure 7," she responded after a pause, "you're 19's mommy. You're suppose to celebrate her awakening day."

"I know," she sadly sighed and bent down towards her, "but there is sometimes when survival comes first. It's better that I keep this group safe than making them satisfied. It's just a complicated thing a leader must do. You understand me?"

The flower necklace stitchpunk can understand her struggle on what is on her mind, but she lowered her head, still looking worried if she will come back in time.

"How about this?" She tried smiling again and raised her chin up a bit to face her, "you set up the party and when I come back, we'll start it. Is that a deal?"

The small stitchpunk thought about it for a while. If this is a deal, she thought, I am really sure she'll come back.

Now feeling positive about this, she responded with her small innocent smile. This caused 7 to smile back in relief.

"Thank you 11," she petted her head and then got up to leave the room, calling out, "and remember what I told you about 10!"

Her energy within her body began to lit once more again and gave her a nod of approval before running off to get 10.

 **lllllllllllllllllllllllll**

"Who's the scientist?"

"Huh," 10 snapped back after dazing off about his worry on what she might find on that book, "what was that?"

The youngster did look a bit annoyed by losing her friend for a moment, but replied,

"9 won't stop mentioning that guy in few pages,"

"What page are you at?"

"Well, I was randomly flipping the first few pages to see if he mentioned anything about that strange object."

"You mean the talisman," he tilted his head a bit.

"Well yeah," she nodded a bit and looked back at the book, "but the beginning of the page just talk about random words like "humans", "The Chancellor", "machines of peace", all those kinds of crap."

"Let me see that," 19 decided to let him take it in order to read it. He paused here, letting his eyes collect the words written until he lowered the book.

"Huh," he looked a bit impressed, "he even recorded his studies on the machine war. But why would he want to look back on it? We all know what the machine did to the humans and-"

"10," he turned to almost want to laugh at how confused she is, "I think it's better you explain to me what it is."

"Oh right," he chuckled, "I guess I forgot that you're the only one who doesn't know."

"What else did you guys didn't tell me? That the beasts use to live underground?"

"Well," he rubbed his head, "I guess since you're two years old now, I don't think I can keep these details in any longer. To start off, humans were these creatures that almost looked like us. They walked, speak and and even had intelligence like us.

"The only difference was that they were ten times bigger than us and...were made out completely different stuff than how we are. But anyways, to make this explanation short, there use to be lots of them. However, they created the machine and it made armies that wiped them out. The only reason we exist was from that guy you mentioned earlier. He made the nine original stitchpunks and gave parts of his souls to them, but ended up killing him in the process."

19 felt as if her head was beginning to ache from all the information pouring into her. But she still felt lost.

"I still feel that information wasn't enough."

10 couldn't complain by her response since 7 would always make everyone keep their mouth shut, but he knew this was going to be a long day.

"Alright," he sighed a bit, "let me try to make it-"

"10! 10!"

His eyes widened in worry when he heard 11 shout, causing him to straighten up. By the time they saw the dwarf enter the room, she stopped panting.

"10..." She tried to catch her breath.

"What? What is it?" 10 was ready to take whatever situation it was. But when she revealed her face after lifting it up to face the healer, he realized that she was exhaustingly smiling.

"7-heh-wanted me to...tell you that she is going out to the Emptiness for today. So she's leaving 15 in charge."

His alerted expression faded while she was recovering her fatigued body, feeling his racing soul pulse soothe down and leaned back to relax against the wall.

"You scared me," he made a huge sigh of relief, but a bit of irritation in his voice that he worried over nothing. 19 couldn't help but find her friend's expression a bit priceless.

"But that wasn't the only thing I came to tell you," they both turned to listen to the settling stitchpunk, "7 also wanted me to tell you to watch over 19. She's worried that she might go outside again.

"Oh for the love of my soul," she face palmed in a mutter.

"That's weird," 10 was confused, "shouldn't she stay here for her daughter's awakening day?"

"Pfft," she rolled her eyes, "when does she ever?"

"She did celebrate it with you for a little while last year," he tried reason with her, "but not as busy as this year."

He then turned to 11,

"Why is she going outside in the first place?

"I don't know," she shrugged, "she never told me. All she told me was that she was going to see something. But she seems to be bringing 16 along with her."

"But 7 wouldn't bring 16 if it was something serious," 19 grew suspicious.

"I agree with 19," 10 said in approval, "if this is actually something serious, she could have warned us."

"But maybe she's just going to battle train with 16?" The dwarf guessed.

"Why would she want to see something while training 16?"

She guessed some more.

"Maybe the souls visited to say hello to 7?"

They both paused for a moment.

"Actually," he thought about it, "that does sound a bit clever, but still impossible.

"Speaking of souls," he turned to the youngest after a pause, "do you think it has to do something with the talisman?"

"I think that's why they were in the attic earlier," 11 spoke out again,

"Who?" The friends both asked her.

"7 and 17 we're in the attic when I saw them leaving it with this poor little spider beast."

"A what?!"

"Relax," 19 tried to calm the healer, "it's dead. We saw the talisman kill it yesterday.

"B..." His eyes still widened in shock "b-but didn't my father killed all of them by destroying the machine factory?!"

"I don't think 5 exactly destroyed all of them," 19 replied.

"No," he shook his head, "he could have. I mean, the only way that these things might be still be alive is if..."

That was when he remain speechless after that. This made the two girls have the mixture of being puzzled and concerned. But the youngest can tell by the fact how her friend's face looked flushed.

"10?"

But he never finished the last sentence. He sat up, now beginning to look urgent about something.

"I'm going out to find her."

"10 wait-"

But he was already carrying his hand-made back and put it down in his supply area to pack some stuff into it, including a harpoon that use to belong to 5. She paced up to him and looked at him awkwardly.

"10, can you just tell us what you're doing and what's going on?"

"I'm going to go out to the Emptiness to find 7," he repeated his answer before putting the backpack on and started opening the drawer of his desk.

"I already freaking know that, but why?"

He took out the headlight and latched it around his head while he turned to her.

"She might be in trouble."

By the time he quickly made sure it was tightly on, he rushed out of his room. She blinked twice and looked at the book before she decided to hide it under the clinic bed's pillow. She jumped out of the bed, with her injured leg feeling better than what it was yesterday, and rushed out of the room with 11 deciding to follow her.

 **lllllllllllllllllllllllllll**

10 panted by the time he got to the entrance room and stared out at the opened door that leads anyone out into the outside world. Several seconds of staring, 11 and 19 finally caught up to him, panting a bit too.

"10," she narrowed, "what heck are you thinking?"

But the oldest non-original stitchpunk continue to stare at the Emptiness.

"She left, didn't she?"

11 turned to the right side of the room to check.

"I don't see her bird helmet and weapons."

This caused him to let out a stressed sigh, but still looked out in determination.

"I had a feeling I would have to do this," he said this and twisted his headlight to flicker the light on. He started taking a step out when he felt someone pull his arm.

"Im not gonna let you go out there alone," the white burlap female spoke out.

"I'm not gonna let my best friend get hurt out there," he respond back and turned to her, "I need you to stay here with the others. That includes you too 11," he then turn his head in slight guilt to the older one.

"Eh," she shrug, "I was going to make an awakening party for 19 anyways."

"But it's too dangerous," 19 gave a begging expression, "how would you be ok if you haven't been outside for so long?"

"I think I still have my skills," he told her, "and what if her and 16 never come back?"

"What if I loose you too? Who will be the leader? The girl who doesn't have any experience with leadership?"

That was when the male finally looked at her in silence.

"I wouldn't do it alone," she made a soft murmur. He knew just by how he looked at her, she looked so scared in imagining it. Even he couldn't imagine it either.

"Just for my awakening day," she continued, "I've gained some skills from 7. I don't care now if I get in trouble. I just wanna know that she's fine too."

10 grew silent and turned to 11 for the thought.

"I think she can do it 10," she smiled, "if she's going to end up trying to survive one day, she needs lots and lots of practices. Besides, if she's smiling about it on her special day then..." Her smile grew, "I'll smile too!"

Despite 19 not knowing much about her since they rarely talk to each other, something from her happiness about it lit her soul enough to emotionally smile back. Maybe she's not annoying than what 12 makes her think she is. 10 then thought about it more. Finally, he reached unto his bag and pulled out a dagger. He grabbed 19's palm and placed the weapon on it.

"Let's just hope we don't get into trouble."

The youngest couldn't help but smile more before tightly hugging him without any word. He just decided to let her have a moment there for few seconds before pulling her away in a serious expression.

"But you have to stay close to me at all times, except if I tell you to run. No exploring, no fighting beasts. Were just going straight over to find 7 and come back here."

"Sure thing," she didn't even care about the rules he made up and was just excited on how she's finally going to go out to the Emptiness with her friend for the first time.

"And you're going to come back before the sun goes to sleep?" 11 asked.

"We'll do our best 11," he petted her head, "we can't promise you anything. Just tell 15 that were searching for the supplies I left nearby the building if she ask."

"Well she's blind 10," 19 replied, "I don't think she'll notice that we left."

"Yes, but she has great senses of a cat beast. So we shouldn't be out there long.

"We shouldn't even waste time talking like this," he looked outside again, "it may be morning, but night can fall in quick when you're exploring out there. So let's get going."

She dipped her head and was about to follow out with him. Then she stopped when she almost forgot this one thought and turned behind her to see the female dwarf, watching them leave.

"11," she completely turned and bent down towards her, "I just wanna say thank you for the gift you gave me today. But I just wanted to ask you something."

She waited silently for her to ask in a blank stare.

"Why did you decide to give me that book in the first place?"

She waited for her to answer while making a pause. But then, her pause looked like it was never going to finish. She just looked at her, anxious as if her sealed lips wasn't allowing her to speak. She turned her body away from her and ran off, leaving the room in process. She tried calling out to her until she heard 10 call out,

"Come on, catch up!"

She glanced at 10 already outside and waiting for her a bit impatiently. She looked at where 11 left off to in silence and decided to ask her later before stepping out of the home base.


	5. Episode 2: We Have Rules pt2

"So I'm guessing you use to be out in the Emptiness a lot," 19 spoke out after thirty minutes of walking.

"That's true," 10 answered, who was already holding onto the harpoon for safety, "but it just felt a lot safer when 9 was around. I was quite a coward when my job was collecting medical stuff, so he would always assist me and taught me about survival."

"But you haven't been out here since..."

There was a moment of silence, worried that saying the last few words would upset her friend.

But knowing what she was trying to say, he didn't look that mournful and just took a deep breath, saying,

"Yep. But that doesn't mean the group hasn't scout since then,"

"Well I know that, 10. 14 scouts out there with 17,"

"Yeah, but there will be some times when 16 will tag along with them...or 11." He did seem to look uncomfortable when mentioning her.

"Is there something wrong with that?" 19 curiously noticed his expression.

"With what?"

"With 11 scouting with them?"

"Um...a little," he shrugged, "is just that despite knowing that she's energetic, she's not the kind of person to be a fighter. And she can often get fatigued pretty easily. I mean, what if the group get attacked by a beast or she wanders off and get hurt? I mean, I would tell her to becareful with stuff like that but-"

"10?"

He quickly turned to her.

"I think you can be a little overprotective with her. Maybe you SHOULD try to tell her if you often feel like this."

"No..no, it's okay," he made an embarrassed smile, "it's just that since 11 can be...um. What's a good word for it?"

19 blinked in confusion,

"A little out of training?"

"Pretty much. I just feel she should be watched over the most because of that. You know how I can be protective with everyone in the group. Especially you, right?"

"Right?

"So that's about it. It's just not necessary to have a conversation with her about it. She would only think about it the wrong way anyways."

"I don't think so," she told him, "from what I often see, she's one of the most understanding of the group. So what makes you so worried on saying it?"

10 tried processing this answer for a while, but nothing seems to come out of his mind.

"I don't know," he finally admitted it, "I guess it's just part of my emotions again".

The female noticed how confused and embarrassed he was getting. The healer can feel body getting extremely warm, having hard control in trying to soothe it. Knowing that there is nothing she can do with 10's condition, she had no choice but remain silent and let it pass itself. The sky started to darken a bit as time passed by from their travels.

The breeze was starting to pick up, giving 10 enough fresh air to feel his behavior return to normal. He looked up at the dark cloudy sky.

"Looks like it's about to rain soon," he murmured with the sound of his tone showing that his emotion was still soothing down, "we should probably hurry before we freeze ourselves from the rain."

19 couldn't help but agree since the Emptiness has gotten a bit more chilly from Autumn passing by and started making a fast pace with him. They approach a wide wired war fence, causing 19 to get curious on where he was taking her.

As soon as they stopped in front of the opening hole of the fence, the oldest signaled her to wait here and carefully crept past the opening. She watched as he climbed up one of the few piles of sack bags, possibly never going to know what's inside them, and used his headlight to look clearly at the area. With his harpoon being grabbed tightly in case of any ambush and his body tensing a bit in protection, it made her a bit surprised that he was actually a bit brave in being out here. Finally, after almost a minute of searching, the former scouter slid back down and and answered,

"The coast is clear."

The youngest gave a dip of approval and started making her way towards the hole.

"Just be careful," he replied while she did so, "those wires are pretty sharp."

She listened to his advice and started to cautiously crept past the small opening. Impressively, she made it out without a scratch or getting stuck and caught up with the male. He praisingly smiled at her accomplishment.

"Come on," he turned in a gesture and continue moving into the battlefield.

But as they walked deeper into the area, she noticed how 10 always remained his eyes on the ground, making her feel eager in asking him what was on his mind. It wasn't until few minutes later while they were passing by one pile of sack bags was when the youngest turned to notice something and slowed her pace. She realized how horrible that idea was. Leaning against the pile, a huge figure, that almost looked like them, was wearing an army uniform that was already extremely worn out. The creature's dead eyes were a bit rolled up with dark blood stains covering under his lips all the way down to his chest.

Half of his skin was almost gone with his skeleton remaining and had a huge blood stain on his stomach as if it was punctured by a huge bullet. The sight took her a while to process by all these detail flowing into her mind to make her expression change into a mixture of fear and disgust.

"Ah!" She flinched harsh enough to make her fall into the ground and scoot away from the corpse.

"19?" He stopped to turn in seeing her in this position while looking at something and followed the direction of her sight to see what it was.

He only saw it for a split second before immediately turning way uncomfortably by what he was exactly trying to avoid here.

"O...o-oh," he stuttered a bit and waited for his body to stop cringing. He looked back at his startled friend and walked up to her.

Bending down to her, he gently spoke,

"19-"

"W-what is that thing?" She whispered in shock,

"Just don't look at it," he gently made her move her body away from it before grabbing her up.

As soon they started walking away from the decaying body, both of them were now lowering their heads on the ground.

"W..." She was still in shock, "was that...?"

"A human," he finished her sentence softly. She then went speechless.

"I'm guessing it was your first time seeing one."

She couldn't help but slowly nod.

"I never knew how hideous they are."

This caused the healer to frown.

"They weren't always like this."

She paused for few seconds.

"Let's just make this quick," she made a soft sigh, "I don't feel comfortable here anymore,"

"Were almost there," he comforted her, "just hold on to me and keep lowering your head."

She couldn't help but accept his advice. They were already somewhere in the center of the battlefield and it has been several minutes since the white burlap saw that corpse. Yet, the image never left her mind, making her body feel numb the more she kept on thinking of it. So she decided to ask some questions so it can hopefully disappear.

"Hey 10,"

"Yeah?"

"I know that you told me how you haven't left the library for two years since 9 left. But out of all the situations that would come and go, what finally made you have the metals to come out here?"

10 took a moment to think about it.

"Honestly," he spoke, "I didn't know if I was finally gonna go out there. I really didn't want to, but I feel I had to. I wanted to get someone to escort me without you in it, but 15 would obviously catch me.

"I was scared on going out though deep down. I thought I would only walk a mile before I would chicken out."

"But you didn't,"

"I guess I didn't," he actually looked a bit impressed by this and made a second of an amusing small smile, "I guess that's since a close friend is with me, I atleast have something to be worth brave for."

She looked at him impressed back, but made a slight friendly smile in a process.

That was when almost immediately, 10 made both of them stop. Their moments of friendship vanished within her, changing into concern.

"Why did we stop?"

He signaled her to be quiet and concentrated their surrounding.

"Something's coming," he whispered and turned to her.

"Hide!"

They decide to hide behind the small pile nearby and sat together in silence. He turned off his headlight by the time they got there and wrap one arm around his sibling-like friend before later hearing slow tiny footsteps.

He guessed that it was impossible for a footstep that light to be any beasts, but anxiously peeked his head out of the pile to see who it was.

"Do you think there's still more out there?" A familiar voice said.

"Who knows how many the machine made while it was alive," a deep feminine voice was then heard.

"Wait," 19 whispered, "is that my mom-?"

"Shh," he covered her mouth and continued listening.

"There could be dozens out there," the feminine voice continued as two small figures appeared from his view, revealing to be 16 and 7, walking pass by, "maybe the machine gave them intelligence to make more of them?"

"I think the question to where they came from doesn't matter now," the elder lifted her bird helmet away from her face and turned to the genderless stitchpunk, "the only thing that matters is to protect our home base. The worst thing that can happen is witnessing more deaths. And I will not witness that again."

Her face then tensed a bit as if she was holding in her emotions from all her horrible pasts and slightly, but quickly shook her head.

"Not again..."

She covered her face again from the helmet and continued walking off, causing 16 to follow again.

"We must warn the others," she replied, "and make sure the home base is guarded as possible."

10 waited until they were too far enough to look back and see them. Half his body finally peeked out, watching their appearance get smaller and smaller. Then 19 looked out with him and turned to him in confusion.

"They seem to be fine," she told him, "shouldn't we go after them?"

Although the healer was glad that nothing harmed them, his uneasy feelings still remained.

"Something still doesn't feel right. Whatever they saw, I'm going to see it myself."

The youngest didn't even get a chance to ask more and watched him continue further into the battlefield. She looked at him for a while and rolled her eyes in irritation before catching up.

It didn't take long as they were climbing up a small hill was when 10's soft pant stopped with,

"This is the place."

She looked at where he was pointing at and notice at what seemed to be a burnt shelter. And by their tiny size, it looked more like a tunnel. He walked down the small hill,

"The tunnel may look pretty burnt, but it still looks tough enough to hold in for the next decade. So this can be a good shortcut for us.

"Just stay close," he turned his headlight back on while the white burlap followed on behind. As they were entering through, there was a strange sense filling in her mouth, which tasted like smoke. Even the darkness and damage in this place seems to haunt her.

"Do you know what happened to this place?" She asked.

"9 and I were around here when we visited," 10 said, "and he actually witnessed it getting damaged before. He told me a story about how the machine was destroyed."

19's eyes widened a bit in interest,

"The machine was destroyed around here?"

10 dipped his head.

"When the machine was attacking the five remaining original stitchpunks, it used some sort of flamethrower to try to burn them in here. I'm just surprised how lucky they were to survive something like that in time."

"What happened next?"

"9 pulled the talisman out of the machine-"

"What?

10 turned his head to her while continuing walking,

"The talisman had the ability to activate the machine, which reawakened it in the first place. It had something that can make the talisman get tightly plugged in there."

19 processed by this information.

"But," she spoke out, "if 9 accidentally reawaken the machine...then that means that the cause of him reawakening it was-"

"Plugging in the talisman on the machine. That means that you're not the one who messed up that device the most."

19 did atleast felt a bit satisfied with that statement, but she still felt the guilt from yesterday. She surely could have killed someone. And adding up with it, she can clearly screw up anything in the future just by witnessing it. If 9 went through such a mistake that bad, she didn't want to feel the same terrible guilt that he had possibly went through. She didn't even want to imagine how bad the guilt felt.

"Continue the story," she spoke again a bit uncomfortable on these these thoughts, causing 10 to notice and decide to immediately change that part of the subject.

"R-right. Anyways, 9 pulled the talisman out of the machine, but one of the 5 victims were killed in process, which you already know who it is. But 9 used talisman to destroy the machine. And..." They exited the tunnel and looked out from what was in front of them,

"Now you know what happened next."

19 stopped walking with her eyes aiming on a very huge body that looks almost like a spider beast, but ten times bigger than it. However, it was obvious by how badly damaged it is, it should be completely lifeless. She felt a sudden haunting feeling immediately spread throughout her body.

She felt so numb by this, it felt like her body was either paralyzed or sinking in a quicksand.

"That's the machine?" Her tone didn't sound like she was questioning.

10 never took his eyes off it too.

"That's the machine."

They stared at it for a while with only the breeze being heard. Then 10 took her hand.

"Were going around it so we can get a good look at the front side. Just...please, stay close to me. I wanna make sure that my theory is wrong."

She didn't know what "theory" he was taking about, but let him escort her around the huge corpse. Because of how big the monstrous giant was, it took a minute to finally get a chance to see the view of it. But seeing the other side of its body, it only made the strange fear within her grow stronger when she was studying it.

It's claws were just laying limply on the ground with several of its parts scattered around as the result of it's collapse. It's eye was literally gone, just burnt out, as if something shot into it to get completely destroyed, and had burnt scars surrounding it, as well as it's whole entire body. This almost made her want to run away from it, but only ended up slowly taking few steps back. It finally was beginning to click within her that something was harshly familiar about it.

"You ok?"

She woken back to reality by her friend's concern tone and looked at him.

"Y...yeah," she lied, "I'm alright. Just gives me the creep is all."

He studied her, but dipped a bit in slight approval.

"Just stay here in case of anything," 10 released her and cautiously halt her while taking few steps away from her, "it'll only take a second."

And from that, he tightly gripped on his harpoon and rushed into the corpse. As he was checking parts of his body, his cautious behavior would slowly start to turn into complete confusion.

While he kept using his headlight to investigate it more, the youngest couldn't help but never leave her sight away from the creature. She hid her hand behind her back and tightly clasped it hard enough to feel some pain on her hard fingers.

"Hmm," 10 looked a bit off guard, "I could have sworn that there was possible chance it was going to reactivate itself. What if I just been overreacting this whole time?"

She just glanced at him questioning himself and stared back into the dead creature's eye, still trying to solve the awkward thought of how familiar it looks.

"But if I am just overreacting, then it doesn't explain the fact of how the spider beasts still exist when 5 killed all of them. Maybe...maybe 7 is right. Maybe we shouldn't think about the machine or the beast or...what am I saying?"

While she was staring at it, the eye of the machine started to spark out with its color a mixture of red and yellow. 19 confusingly looked closer at it as the sparks started to get stronger.

"Maybe I am overthinking things. I guess that since I witnessed 9's passing, I often become like 7 too," he murmured embarrassingly. Soon, the sparks grew strong enough for the yellowish flaming eye to lit up to life. Images from that eye suddenly flashed from the dreams she usually gets while sleeping. She could be dreaming, but it was impossible. This just felt too real to be another dream. Her eyes widened in horror.

"No..." She whispered, feeling one of her legs move back.

"I just get scared, you know?" He finally gave up investigating, "about losing someone again. I think it usually revolves around you since you relate to him. Or the fact that I see you more like a sister."

While he was saying this, the creature let out an grunt of pain and anger towards her.

"No," she repeated, watching it make violent twitches without taking its damaged eye off her, "you...no, you can't be real!"

"I wish that-" he finally heard her last sentence loud enough to turn towards the female fearfully stepping back and trembling.

That was when his worry for her started to grow.

"19," he turned off his light and jumped off the body, causing her to glance at him and the awakening machine at the same time. By then, the machine was beginning to try getting up.

"Hey, what's wrong?" He tried walking up to her, "you don't look so well."

"10...10!"

"Buddy?"

"Get...r-run!"

She watched him glance at the machine and was ready for him to help her get away of the monstrous being. But he just glanced back at her more worried towards her while it was starting to slowly and painfully crawl towards them.

"19," he cautiously walked more towards her, but made her back away clumsily enough to fall back on the ground and fearfully try to scoot away, "hey, you have to calm down-"

"10, RUN!" Her soft tone finally turned into a shout as she got up and try running off.

"19!" He called out with his eyes widening and immediately rushed to her. But as he wrapped his arms tightly around her, she only harshly tried to struggle out of him.

"19, snap out of it," he decided to lower her down to the ground and had struggles letting her body rest on his, "you're scaring me!"

"10 please..." Her voice was now beginning to sound like a sob, feeling her body get filled with huge confusion and terror as to why her friend was not letting them run away.

The healer had no choice but to gently grab her shoulder and shake it.

"19," he repeated as she looked back at its eyes growing brightly towards them and its growling growing louder, causing her to make quick heavy pantings, "snap out of it-!"

She broke into a scream for her friend, begging in complete desperation, while burying her face unto his chest and trembling violent. Now 10 was scared. Really scared. He had no idea what to do at her sudden behavior like this. He didn't know whether she was in pain or going through a complete shock from the sight of the machine.

He had no choice but to hug her tightly back, praying that it will go away, as he looked helplessly towards the panicking young female.

"Keep your eyes closed-" his voice was finally soft in defeat until 19 heard the machine being really close to them and let out a loud screeching roar, causing her to make another wave of a harsh scream. The former scouter trembled by this and just let his hand stroke her head in helplessly. Then, few seconds later, it stopped.

Just so suddenly, the sound stopped. The machine can no longer be heard. 10 finally began to notice that her very tense and trembling body was beginning to soothe a bit and only heard a mixture of sobbing and whimpers from her.

"19?" He gently sat her up a bit, uncovering her face that was still completely lowered to ground. She slowly turned with her eyes still in fear to see the machine very cold to them. But it was revealed that machine was back where it was earlier: lying limply on the ground and completely lifeless.

"19," he spoke to her again and let her face turned to his, "a-are you ok?"

She stared at him traumatized enough to remain speechless.

"Are you hurt...sick?"

She rarely even blinked. She had no idea what had just happened or what she saw that she thought existed. All she knew was that she felt like she was falling into insanity. She flickered closed her eyes in shuddering breaths. Then she rest her face unto his buttoned shirt, grasping at it tightly while she sobbed bitterly.

10 couldn't help but frowned. Whatever she just went through, it wasn't a good one. He guessed she may have been catching a fever until he touched her head to feel that it was not warm enough. This scared him, but he tried remain calm for her and silently embraced her. The only thing that can possibly make her feel better was to say

"It's ok...it's over. You're safe now."

 **llllllllllllllllllllllllllllll**

"I would like to thank you for putting up the decorations for the party 11," 7 looked a bit thankful while looking at the entrance's decoration result, but then puzzled, "though I have one question. Are these things possible to wash off?"

11, with parts of her body covered with colored paint, looked to her sight where almost all the walls in the room were covered in different colored paintings. The left side of the wall is red painted, written, "you are very special!" With yellow stars drawn around it. In the middle side, a huge blue written paint reads, "happy awakening day, 19!" with drawings of flowers around it and a poor drawing attempt of 19's face smiling. Finally, the right side of the wall was written in green paint, "may all your dreams come true!" With red hearts spread over it.

"Why of ofcourse," she happily smiled and turn to the leader, "I wouldn't have done it if I didn't test to see if the paint was washable!"

"I wouldn't imagine wanting to have a new sister covered with paint all the time," 12 muttered while coming next to her.

"It wouldn't matter," she glanced at her messy self, "I would love to look as colorful as a rainbow."

"You're already covered with rainbows," he pointed to her head, "in your head."

"But I don't have rainbows in my head," she frowned a bit and tried to think of it.

"Hmm...I know!" She smiled again, "I'll just paint the inside of my head with rainbows!"

"Oh afterlife, please no," the three stitchpunks heard a voice at the entrance door and turned to see 10 look worried by that response. He was soaked with 19 from the rain outside, who had both his hands placed on her in aid. It was obvious that the youngest looked tiredly stressed about something, but it didn't seem to cross their mind just by being glad they came back safely.

"You came back!" 11 called out in happiness and went over to embrace the oldest one.

10 later smiled in comfort for a moment by the warmth of the little stitchpunk and looked at the room while the two others followed over to the returned duos.

"What happened here?" He asked and looked back at the hugging dwarf as he exchanged one arm around her body, "and what happened to you?"

"Rainbows," 12 answered in sarcasm, "rainbows infected her."

After he said this, the twin watched his sister finally released him and let her lit up face be shown towards the healer.

"Oh!" She realized something, "I almost forgot."

She ran to the middle of the room and faced the younger white one to present her with a cheerful,

"Tada! Happy awakening day!"

19 go attention by this and glanced at the room and then at her.

"You...you did this for me?"

The dwarf opened her mouth to answer.

"Yes," 12 interrupted, "she did."

He then made a scolding glare at her, causing the other dwarf to just remain silent. This caused 19 to give a look of suspicion towards the brother.

"You were out there for a while," 7 broke her puzzling thought and turned to see her approach her, "11 told me that you were nearby the home base collecting medical objects and battle training with 10."

She blinked twice and glanced at the female dwarf, hoping that she wouldn't get caught by this fake story.

"Yeah," 10 made a slight smile while following her plan, "she actually learned pretty quickly. She may not still be good enough to defeat you, but she knocked me off pretty easily out there.

"Hm," she gave a bit of an impressed look, "I can see why she seems to look exhausted."

He dipped his head, but saw her smile disappear and turned her face back to him, which caught the healer off guard.

"However, I want you to next time tell me that you're taking my daughter out like that. I almost got worried when I couldn't find you two."

"Oh," he deeply felt relieved with his smile reappearing, "sure thing, 7. I promise I won't make the same mistake again."

And with that, the leader made a smirk of the oldest male's acceptance.

"I'm going to go ahead and get the others," 11 announced to 7, "tell them that 19 is here so we can start the party."

He then turned to his friend while she left he room and went close to the side of her head.

"I'm going to let you stay in my room for tonight," he whispered, "Just to check on the condition that happened out there."

19 froze for a bit before making an anxious nod, still worrying that whatever symptom she had, she hope it wasn't life threatening.

"But you shouldn't worry about it," he sounded as if he read her mind, "it's you're awakening day. Let's just celebrate the end of it as best as we can."

 **llllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll**

And it was finally near midnight when the party ended. Several stitchpunks went to their bedroom for bed while 12 took 11 to their room to get his sister all cleaned up. As this was all happening, 10 took 19 to his room and made her sit on the clinic bed. He listened to her soul pulsing before he used his headlight to diagnose her optics. He made slow flickers on them so she wouldn't black out, but still resulted in her cringing from the slight pain by the sight of it.

As he watched her eyes shrink for few moments closely, he stopped flickering it and took off his headlight.

"Your eyes seems perfectly fine."

He then touch her forehead in a pause.

"And you don't seem to be running a slight heat."

She looked at him worriedly when she recovered from the eye diagnosis.

"So what's wrong with me?"

He looked straight her, trying to think of how to say this.

"19," he sighed, "I honestly have no clue what caused you to have that hallucination like that. Are you sure this was this first time you had this symptom?"

She quickly nodded.

"Then the only thing I can tell you is that the fear on seeing the corpse might have trigger the hallucination,"

"But you don't understand 10," she frowned, "I think I saw the machine before."

The healer froze when he was about to go to pack his stuff into his supply desk and turned back to her.

"What?"

"I always have this nightmare about this huge monstrous being that looks just like it since I turned a year old. I thought I never saw the machine before. But when I saw that body today and had a hallucination of it alive, that was when I realized that the monster in my dream was the machine the whole-"

"W-wait!" He halted her and waited for his complete confusion to relax, "wait..."

He then took a while with his eyes closed shut to try to process all of this before letting him have the sight of his friend's face again.

"So...you're telling me that for the past year, you have been having these nightmare of the monster that looks like the machine. Am I correct?"

She nodded.

"And you sure that the machine that you hallucinated about is the same exact monster that appears in your nightmares?"

She worriedly frowned more when she nodded again.

10 now began to slightly narrow.

"And you never told me about this?"

She was beginning to feel guilt by his expression.

"I didn't want to tell you-"

"Why?!"

Her lip shivered by his tone raising angrily.

"I just didn't want you to think I was overreacting over a dream. I didn't want you to think that I was going crazy over nothing harmful. But after a hallucination from today...I feel that this is now serious enough to tell you."

His glare slowly soften. Then he sighed, saying,

"Oh boy," and turned away from her while rubbing his forehead in stress.

"10," she murmured, "I'm really scared. I don't know what's happening to me and I'm scared the hallucination is going to come back."

10 then looked at her in growing pity.

"I'm scared I'm going to loose myself if this continues or keeps getting worse. It's going to come back...right?"

10 paused for a while and finally turned to her again.

"I'm a healer buddy," he confessed, "not a fortune teller. I don't even know what it is. There's just sometimes in this world where everyone is afraid of being lost."

He then paused a beat.

"Even when you start losing someone important."

That was when she lost her friend.

His attention to reality faded within his eyes and had a strange expression appear on his face. It almost looked as if his emotion was fused with regret and anger. She worriedly look at him while he stood still like this.

"10?"

Although he never answered back to her, he regain consciousness of his focus and raised his lowered head.

"I just hope it goes away eventually," he ended the conversation in a murmur.

"Come on," he put away his headlight and walked to his bed, using the huge light switch to turn the lights out, "we need to get a shut eye. That'll help you recover from the incident."

"10-"

"Goodnight 19," he ignored her response and sunk unto his bed, trying to get some sleep. 19 just continued to stare at him sinking into slumber and gave up trying to know what is on his mind and to try to ask him about it again later. She laid on the bed and stared out on her surrounding. A minute afterwards, she closed her eyes, waiting for the slumber to take her too.

 **llllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll**

 **End of episode 2**


	6. Episode 3: Where He's Gone to pt1

The next day felt like another routine, only this time in a strange different atmosphere. 10 was already gone when 19 woke up that early morning. She was getting out of her clinic bed, hoping not wake up her sleeping friend, and only turned see his bed completely empty. She only guessed that he got up earlier, making it pretty rare for a male being a bit of a heavy sleeper. But trying not to worry about that small thought, she left and dully went to the area where most of the books are, which is also where 14 and 17 were hanging out in.

13 was busy copying words from a human-size book onto a handmade stitchpunk-size book quietly while 11 was with the duos playing another strange game. This time, there was drawings on the floor of divided squares clashed together, with numbers written on each of them. It looked like it was 17's turn, as she used a pebble to throw it across the patterns until it landed on the "8" pattern. She was about to leap unto them until the white burlap walked up to them.

"Oh hey 19," the next player turned to her in a smile, "Good morning. How did you slept?"

"Fine," she said, "how about you guys?"

"Pretty well. 14 actually slept better last night than two nights ago. You know, after-"

"I know," she tried to keep her polite tone while her body started to warm up in embarrassment from that day.

"It's okay," she heard the small scouter's voice and turned to see him give a soft smile.

"Oh right," 17 noticed, "14 wanted to tell you that he forgives you from the incident. He felt shook up at first, but it's not that big of a deal anymore. So if he can forgive you, then I can forgive you too."

"O-oh," her guilt from the last two days lit up a bit and looked at the older female before turning back to her friend, "thanks,14."

14 didn't say anything afterwards, but only responded with a growing smile and dipped as a thing to say, "you're welcome".

"Now let's go ahead and forget about it," 17 replied, "it's all in the past. Maybe playing a game with us can do the trick?"

"I mean, sure. 10 is scientist knows where and I don't have anything to do," she walked and sat next to 14 before looking back at the strange patterns.

"So what game is this?"

"It's another human hobby called hopscotch," 13 answered while still writing, "usually kids would play this."

The youngest got confused when he mentioned the word "kids", despite knowing little about it, but didn't want to interrupt him when he continued on.

"What you do is throw a rock onto the patterns. When it lands on a number, you have to hop your way from each pattern to get the rock back."

"Oh," she blinked and looked back at the game, "then it isn't that hard,"

"Not exactly," the three ponytailed stitchpunk teased a bit, "you have to only hop on one shoe while you're doing that. Even 14 had hard time balancing himself from it. So it often takes practice, depending on how good your balance is."

"Hm, atleast is makes it a little more entertaining.

"That's the spirit," she praised her, "now let me just finish my turn off so you can go ahead and try it."

She turned back to the hopscotch and used one foot to hop on each patterns. But as she moved to two patterns with a "4" and "5", she almost lost her balance.

"Woah!" It caught her by surprise and managed to get back to her settled position, "that was a tricky move."

"Come on 17," 11 shout out in encouragement, "you're almost there!"

"Go 17!" 14 cheered.

"You can do it!" 11 cheered again.

"Alright," she chuckled by the support she's getting, "here I go."

She continued on, this time a little better than before. With 14 and 11 still cheering, 19 didn't do anything but just try to give her a small smile, shy on having to shout out loud like that. After two hops, the player finally reached the rock and picked it up.

"Did it," she turned to them in order to show her success.

"Yay!" 11 applauded happily, with 14 joining her, "I knew you could do it!"

"Thank you," she chuckled again in a flatter, "I do my best."

After she said this, another white stitchpunk entered the room, having a bit of suspicion on her face. The small group turned to her, with 17 giving a greeting smile.

"Good morning 7, how are you feeling?"

"Fine thank you," she spoke and looked a bit around the room.

"Have any of you four seen 10?"

This caused them to exchange looks at each other.

"I don't think I've seen him this morning," 11 shrugged.

"I only saw him last night," 17 said.

"He was already gone when I woke up," 19 frowned a bit in confusion.

13 just shrugged while 14 honestly shook his head.

This caused 7 to stressfully sigh.

"Ok," she rubbed her forehead, "he's probably somewhere in the library doing something. And 12?

"He's sleeping in our room," the female dwarf told her, "just like he usually is."

"Alright," she was atleast glad someone knows where the other stitchpunk is, "I'm going to go ahead and wake him up for his appointment with 10. If you guys see 10, tell him that he needs to meet up with him."

"Sure thing 7," 17 dipped her head.

"Alright," she said this before leaving the room to get 11's brother.

"Ok 19," the older female turn and walked up to her to give her the rock, "your turn. Just remember the rules that 13 told you and be careful."

She nodded as the response with 17 giving her room. She walked up in front of the game. As she stared at it blankly, she still had a feeling that something was missing about the regular days she goes through in this building. But she decided that it was just all in her head and threw the rock on the hopscotch. She wanted to laugh deep down at the coincidence of the small conversation earlier when she watched it land on the number "10".

 **llllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll**

 **Where He's Gone to**

 **llllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll**

7 went to the twin's room and cautiously opened the door to see the room dark. She turned the lights on, seeing a male dwarf stitchpunk's body covered in a blanket. He let out a groan and started to peek half of his face drowsily towards her.

"Leven, I told you that I will play with you in five-"

His voice broke off when noticing the leader and quickly turned his sight away from her.

Knowing what's on his mind, she spoke anyways with,

"I wanted to wake you up for your appointment."

12 just remained silent.

"Why don't you just go and play with your sister and her friends while I look for 10? I'm sure it won't be long."

12 still ignored her.

"Go ahead and get up," she said the last sentence and left the room. He waited for several seconds and turned his eyes back at the door. He made a huge sigh of relief that she was gone.

 **lllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll**

13 now decided to take a break from his writings and join the game. It was his turn now and he threw a rock to watch it land on a "3". As they were watching him start to easily leap on the patterns and pick the rock up, 12 tiredly came into the room while rubbing his eyes.

"12," 11 looked at him happily, "you're awake!"

"Shh," he hushed in irritation as he then rubbed his head, "my mind is still trying to wake up."

"Then why are you awake?" 19 asked.

12 sighed in ignorance and walked up to his sister in order to sit next to her.

"That dumb leader woke me up for my appointment," his eyes were then closed shut while still rubbing his head, "so I know I'm going to regret this but-"

"You wanna rest on my lap?"

"Please. But just to make it quick before I break my helmet for passing out."

"Wait, 11," 17 interrupted them, "you may not play the game if he's sleeping on your lap. Are you sure you wanna do this?"

"I don't mind," she smiled, "I actually love it when he sleeps my lap. It gives us our little sibling moment together.

"I'm gonna count how many times you make this thing more awkward, and I won't talk to you by days of the following counts," the brother narrowed.

"Right," she made a shy smile, "sorry, 12."

12 just gave her a moment of look and rolled his eyes before letting his head rest on her crossed legs. His attitude expression seems to slowly settle every second while his twin stroke his head in comfort. After a minute at looking at him heartwarmingly, she turned to 14 and whispered,

"Isn't he cute when he's asleep?"

"Two days," 12 mumbled while falling into his slumber, causing the other twin to feel her body be warm in slight embarrassment.

"Sorry."

 **lllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll**

"Where in scientist's name is he?" Her impatience began to grow as 7 was crossing past the library's hallway. She had looked in the basement, attic, his room, around the outside of the library, everywhere. He was nowhere to be found. She decided to check one last time at his bedroom to see if he came back to whatever he was out at. she approached and opened the curtain to the library's supply room that was now replaced as the healer's bedroom and clinic room.

"10?" She called out to him inside, only to not to see any sight of 5's son. Her impatience were slowly beginning to turn into worry.

Relax, he must have left a note of where he went to, she thought and started searching around the room. But no matter where she looked, all she saw were papers written with words about his studies. She then opened the drawer to where his headlight usually is, only to find that it was missing too. This caught her attention and decided to look around too see if he maybe dropped it somewhere. It was nowhere to be found. But as she was looking around, she realized something was missing from the room.

It took her few minutes to process it until she turned back to 10's supply desk. Right next to it, where 10's backpack and his father's harpoon usually is, she realized that they were gone too. Her eyes slowly widened in realization and looked out at the opening hole that leads to the Emptiness.

"Oh no..."

 **lllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll**

12 was beginning to awaken from an odd and random dream when he suddenly realized that he was not on his bed, but on a stitchpunk. He jumped awake to see 11 staring at him in surprise while the small group were now gathered around in circles.

"Ah," she smiled, "you're awake...again!"

12 then began to remember what happened when he was falling asleep, which made his body relax in a sigh.

"How long was I asleep?

"Quite a while," 17 teased.

"Yeah," 19 teased a bit too, "it's already noon."

"Perfect," he said sarcastically while rubbing his eyes.

"You actually woke up in a right time," his dwarf sister replied, "we were just started talking about you."

"Oh that's just good," he turned to her, "what embarrassing things have you said about me?"

"It's not much," 19 told him, "we were first talking about-"

"I wasn't talking to you," he gave a small glare at her.

This took her back a bit by that sudden attitude, but decided to turn her eyes way from him in annoyance, not wanting to put up an argument in a group conversation.

"Leven?" He turned back to his twin.

"We at first talked about 10 and how we didn't see him yet today before we started talking about he missed doing your appointment.

"Have any of you guys heard of him?"

"Na-ah," 14 shook his head.

"You weren't there," 17 answered, "but 7 came in here to ask where 10 was. We haven't heard anything else about him since then.

"Hm," he rubbed his eyes, "strange. That mood shifter is always running around the library."

"I'm sure he's just so busy that we can't get a chance to see him," 19 was starting to frown a bit, despite trying to be positive about her friend, "right?"

"There's nothing to worry about," 17 eased her, "10 is a really smart guy. He would never do something that will hurt him."

19 thought about it.

"Yeah," she shrugged, "I guess you're-"

"15, go get 16," they heard the leader's voice and quickly turned to the opened door where the sound is coming from, "I'll go get 12 and we will meet at the entrance room,"

"Right away," 15 was then heard as they watch her run in all fours pass the room and exit at the other door.

Few seconds later, 7 enter the room, this time with her suspicions from earlier transformed into complete worry.

"12," she came up to him, "were gonna have to cancel your appointment. You have to meet us at the entrance."

Despite 12 not wanting to talk to her, he was confused as to what was going on.

"Wait," he felt lucky when the youngest spoke, "what do you mean?"

"I need you to remain calm 19," her mother looked at her, "but were forming a search party."

"What?" 19 started to look a bit concerned while this caught the male dwarf' attention and quickly stood up, "but for who?"

"I'll go to the entrance right now," 12 said and left the room. Knowing that there isn't much time, she glanced back at her to make the answer quick.

"10 is missing."

The group's eyes widened a bit and look at each other while 13 quickly looked up from his writing that he went back to doing earlier in slight concern. As for 19, she was scared the most, her eyes widening in alert from this news.

"W-what do you-"

But 7 has already rushed out of the room, making the daughter quickly get up.

"W-wait," she ran after her, "7!"

Out of curiosity and worry, the rest got up and followed after them.

 **lllllllllllllllllllllllllll**

"7!" She called out to her again and was feeling her body beginning to give up on her from all the running until she watched her stop in the entrance room, joining few of the strongest stitchpunks in the group.

"Alright," 7 started to speak with the search party right when 19 grabbed her arm and turn her face to hers.

"7," she panted worriedly, "what do you mean he's missing?"

"19," she held her gripping hand,

"What do you mean he's missing?!"

"Daughter," she replied to the the most panicked one, "wherever he is, we'll do our best to find him."

"But what if 10's just taking a small walk?" 11 called out when the other small group came, "maybe he'll come back before the sun falls."

"One rule in this home base is to never to go out alone," the leader turned her face to the dwarf, "and 10 would never break any rule in this house unless something's bothering him."

"7, do you know what it is?" 17 spoke up anxiously.

"I don't know anything of what's going, nor where he went to. The only thing that matters now is to find him. And when we find him, I'll ask him. But we don't have any time," she looked out at the Emptiness, "every second can bring him closer to danger."

"Then I'll go with you," 19 spoke out, very willing to look for her friend.

"No 19," she said in a deep tone, "you're still in training. You have to stay here with the rest."

"But I have to find him!" She begged in desperation, now causing both her hand to grasp on her arms.

"You can't do anything, 19. You're not strong enou-"

"If I'm not strong, then why is 11 allowed to go out?!"

She heard 12 make a short gasp in offense, causing her to realize what she said.

"No offense," she guiltily looked at her,

"It's ok," she smiled, despite looking a bit shocked herself, "I forgive you."

"That doesn't mean that I'm not done with you yet," 12 glared at her and marched towards her until 15 blocked him, without exchanging a look at him, and shook her head.

"That doesn't matter 19," 7 turned back to her, still unamused from what the white burlap said, "you're still too young. And I will not let anything happen to you too."

"I think I know where he is," she replied, "he would often talk about the common places that he goes to. Like the phonogram area."

"We'll take care of the location," the older white one said, "you just stay put and relax. It won't be long."

The youngest still showed desperation.

"7," she murmured, "please don't do this to me. I can't just sit there and do nothing while he could possibly be hurt or..."

But her voice choke, not wanting to say the worst. 7 can notice how worried she was on her loyal beloved friend, making her deep down feel the guilt within her. But she had to do it.

"I know how close you are to him like a family," she told her, "but there sometimes when we are unable to do anything but hope...it'll be ok."

She noticed that when she hesitated from the last few words, she dazed off in sadness.

"It'll be ok..."

By that repeat, she finally froze in silence. The group glanced at each other, with some confusion, while some knew what exactly she was thinking of. With 15 being one of them, she quickly responded by saying,

"7, 10 is still out there."

The eldest blinked twice.

"Right," she snapped back to reality and turned to her search party.

"As I was saying a minute ago, 10 can be anywhere in either the phonogram area, where 5's burial is, the destroyed sanctuary, or in few of the junk areas, where he use to collect supplies in. The destroyed sanctuary is right nearby here, so we'll go there first before then checking the phonogram area.

"The machine factory can also be a good place to find him if he's not in any of those places," 16 spoke up.

"I wouldn't go anywhere near that filthy place," she glared at him, "the building is badly shaped after the fire and the fabrication machine's remaining creation could be settling around there."

15 guessed that it could be possible, but she also can understand another reason why she doesn't want to go in that place. 19 can possibly know the same thing since 10 sometimes doesn't shut up on past stories.

"He could be right 7," 15 told her calmly and slight determination, "if the beasts captured 10 and took him inside the factory, you three have no other choice."

16 and 15 both looked at her while thinking about this, wondering on whether or not she was going to agree with her young partner. She then finally sighed.

"Fine," she answered, "but just because I don't want to end up acting like 1. But 15,"

"Yes, 7?"

"You stay here and do what you do best. And make sure 19 doesn't try to leave here."

19 looked annoyed by this, but gave up arguing at her and felt mixture of desperation and helplessness lie within her.

"Don't worry," the blind stitchpunk said, "I'll keep my sense out for her and the others."

7 dipped her heard as a thank you and turned to the search party.

"Let's go," she ordered with 16 and 12 following her out to the outside world.

11 ran near entrance door and called out,

"COME BACK BY SUNSET, GUYS!

"Don't be a doll crying for its owner," 12 called back while running further, "we won't be gone long!"

"OKAY," she still called out loudly and wave, "COME BACK SAFETLY!"

"11," 15 crawled up to her, "I think he heard you clearly. You're going to scare the whole entire group if you scream like that."

The female dwarf blinked,

"Right, sorry."

15 then turned to the whole group, who already gathered while the conversation was going on.

"Alright people," she told them, "you can go back to whatever you were doing. I'll just keep watch here."

The group still remained there in a stare.

"Well what are you waiting for, another show to go on?" She started to grow impatient and pointed out, "go!"

After moment of silence, she can finally hear people walking away. 18 went back to 16's laboratory to keep drawing, 13 followed after 17 and 14 back to the book area, and 11 decided to follow after the three too while 19 moved near the entrance to look out of the Emptiness.

11 was walking away while glancing to see the 15 move to the youngest and said,

"You better not think what I think you're thinking," she looked seriously. "The world is not ready to face you yet. If you want to make your soul worth created, you stay here. Now do something before I have no choice but to beat you down if you take your first footstep out there." The white burlap turned to the smoother white one, almost looking as if she wants to argue with her. Even if she planned on going out, 15 would immediately catch her anyways. The reason why 10 and her got out yesterday, without being caught, was because she checking up on the other stitchpunks.

But possible that she heard the story that they sneaked out by 7, it seems impossible now. So she turned her face away from hers and started walking out of the room in defeat. 11 notice the whole scene, causing her slow pace to finally stop right in front of the door that leads to another room. 17 and the others didn't notice that she did so, leaving her in the same room that 19 was starting to leave. There was this sudden urge by the youngest's sad and helpless emotion that made her want to cheer her up. To comfort her. To see her smile.

To speak to her. This urge that she have felt for two years is something she's suppose to be use to. But the more she refuses her eager to do it, the more regrets are filled within. The more regrets she takes in, the stronger her urge to talk to her becomes.

She clenched unto her flower necklace while trying to process all these thoughts. _Don't do it_ , one thought told her, _remember what your brother told you. Do you really want your brother to be mad at you and lack trust on you for the rest of your life?_ The female blink and frowned a bit.

 _But You cant just leave her like this,_ _her second thought came in, just imagine if it was you like this if 12 was missing. Would you want to have that on your mind for the rest of the day?_

 _You will hurt his feelings,_ the other thought told her. _You know you want to be friends with her, the second thought replied. Do you know what trouble you will cause if he finds out that you betrayed him?_ She knew that this was not those regular thoughts she often have whenever she's in a situation like this. She finally knew, while still holding her necklace, that she had to make a decision. 19 was now few steps out if the room; She couldn't them anymore. She turned her body way from the other side of the door and turned her direction towards the youngest.

19 was approaching the hallway, where it will lead her to her bedroom, when she suddenly heard quick footsteps being heard behind her. Curiously turning, she saw 11 running towards her and slowed into a stop when she got near her. She looked up at her in silence with a nervous expression. When she noticed her frozen position, the white burlap's curiosity turned into confusion.

"Um..." Her eyebrow raised a bit, "is..there something you want from me?"

She then blinked and looked down, almost looking as if either forgotten what she was doing, or trying to wonder what to say or do to her.

But after a while, she looked up at her, giving a warm gentle smile.

"I was wondering...do you want hang out at the sewers?"


	7. Episode 3: Where He's Gone to pt2

p style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px; background-color: #fffffa;"19 can only hear the ripples of the filthy, but beautiful reflective water while sitting in front of a small lake that travels all the way into the tunnel of the dark sewer while sitting next 11. She honestly been around here before. But mostly whenever she sometimes passes by there as the good pathway into not getting caught by 15. It may be a long way to walk her way back to her room, since she has to go all around the back of the library in order to enter the back entrance and quietly walk all the way to where her room is on the front side of the building, but it's better than having to go through ten minutes of arguing with 7. Besides, it always nice to take a glance at it during night time with the water reflecting a glow of blue. Sadly, it would take hours before the sun is completely /br / Not like it's her favorite or anything. But with how much pleasure the female dwarf had on her face just being here exactly reads that this is her Favorite place. She felt awkward just starting to finally talk her after the whole life of being ignored by her. She's just been so use to her silent response towards her, it almost makes her a bit uncomfortable, but yet, a bit of satisfaction at the same time. Still, the thought of 10 being missing out there still chills her mind and all the way down to her body. She knew that talking to the stitch punk, who is traveling her finger gently, but playfully, around the water, was the only chance she can calm her worries down. br /br /"So..." She rubbed her arm awkwardly in a bit of a shy tone, making her feel a bit out of her character, "I'm guessing you like this place?"br /"Like it?" She turned her face to hers in a big smile, "I LOVE this place!"br /"And does 12 like it too?"br /"Eh," she shrugged, "not exactly. He always says that it gives him these uncomfortable feelings as if he's regretting something. Which is strange, because I always find this place to make me feel much better whenever I feel down. So whenever I'm sad, I just sneak in here myself to just look at the beauty of it, especially when it's night time. br /br /"It just makes me feel more like myself, but in peace, with warmth within me."br /She now looked as if she was deep into what she described what she was feeling when she gave the white one a calm smile. br /"I'm not sure if you feel the same way as I do, but what does this place make you feel?" br /She honestly didn't really think deeper to what she felt of the area. Despite that she only notices beauty in it, she does feel as if she is missing a description towards it./p  
p style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px; background-color: #fffffa;"She looked out on it, focusing on her feelings towards it. It took a while to let it slip into her body, but the emotions finally settled in. What she started feeling was something she can't /"I...don't know. I feel something though."br /"Well," the dwarf blinked, "can you atleast know what emotion it is?"br /"Kind of mixed. Either it's...confusion or...worry?"br /Her expression showed to be completely puzzled when she said, wondering what these dumb emotions came /br /"Huh," the older one blinked, "that's a bit weird."br /19 gave her a look, causing 11 to notice what she exactly /"N-not that it makes YOU look weird or anything," she embarrassingly giggled, "the sewer can just really give anybody strange emotions!"br /"Um, no it okay, " she responded, "I understand what you're trying to say."br /"Hehe, that's good," her face got warm in a smile, "I can just act a bit of a little goofball sometimes. Atleast that's one of the thing 12 describes me /br /"Wait," this completely caught the youngest's attention, "you mean your brother?" br /"Yeah," she replied, "he can be dorky when it comes to silly names like twerp, dumb, softie...let see, weak, useless, piece of garbage-"br /"W...wait, " she closed her eyes in a halt after a moment of shock from hearing this. She reopened them and lowered her halting /"Are these exactly what he calls you? I mean, I sometimes hear some stuff that he calls you, but he does this ALL the time? Even when I'm not around? br /br /"Why Ofcourse," she showed no bother from this, "why?"br /"Don't you think that's a little too harsh?"br /"Well yeah, but I know he doesn't mean it. Like I often said, he's always like this."br /"And it never bothers you?"br /"Well there's some parts that can hurt me. But other than that, I'm totally fine with it!" br /She frowned by this answer. She still felt bothered that 11 has to live her whole life being bossed around by him. Maybe even hiding her feelings from /br / "Well, if he tries hurting you, you just run over to me and I'll take care of him."br /11 looked at her in blank stare. Then she snorted before bursting into laughter, causing the former leader's daughter to be caught a bit off /"Oh 19," she giggled, "don't think of thoughts like that. 12 is my very best friend, and he would never try to hurt me!" br /She just responded at the laughing girl with a suspicious frowned. She looked exactly like she might be telling the truth. Still, something still felt wrong with the way she talked about her brother, causing her to slightly /"R...right," she just decided to go with /br /-br /br /12 looked at his surroundings, revealing to be the phonogram area. The sun was already noon and it won't be long till it starts setting. br /"Nothing to see here," he quickly answered to 16, who knew that he spoke to it for an obvious reason. br /"Well we just got here," 7 stepped pass by to be in the lead, "we have to make sure we can find him in time before the sunset. You check around the phonogram, while I check around 5's burial. No hesitation."br /br /He waited in annoyance until 7 disappeared from walking down a small hill towards 5's grave, which is between the machine factory and the area that 7's small search party was standing on. br /"We have to find him before sunset," he imitated her in a mocking way, "no hesitation-bleh bleh bleh."br /"Come on 12," 16 didn't look angry at his behavior, but still held a bit of a serious tone towards their task, "you shouldn't worry about her. 10 being missing out here is a better thing to worry about right now."br /br /The genderless almost immediately turned and went to search and call out the missing healer's name. 12 just let out a sound of a "pfft" and rolled his eyes irritatingly before setting out to the other side of the area, which was where the albums /"10," he called out, "hey 10, get out here!"br /He started shifting the albums to see if he was hiding behind them, which was pretty obvious he wasn't there. He still groaned a bit from this /br / "Listen, you embarrassing flower headed mood shifter," he looked around, "whether you're trying to play hide and seek in order to impress my sister, I'll let you know that it's the worst way to try to make something that unique. You're literally going to scare the crap out of her, especially your awkward non-sister."br /He kept walking pass by, glancing for any signs of him with his arms /"So would you just move those sorry buttons of yours out of the shadow before I'll tell your secret? I may not know what is yet, but it's almost obvious to see what you're really are. Especially the fact that you might be-"br /"NO!"br /He heard a cry of a deep feminine voice and turned to see that it was in the direction where the leader went off /br /Pulling a dagger out of his knife pocket, he heard 16 running next to /"You heard it?" It glanced at /12 responded with a nod, both ending up making the males quickly rush down the hill to catch up towards her. When they finally got to where they can see the elder, what they saw draw them in relief, but still in little worry for 7 to sit in front of her friend's grave in utter shock. They decided to pace up to her and see why she was looking at the grave like that until they moved away from the sight of her body blocking where the one of the original stitchpunks was actually buried in. br /br /What they saw made both eyes widen in disbelief. The ground in front of 5's memorial flag was completely dug up, with a dead stitchpunk laying within there. br /From seeing what 5 somewhat physically looked like, he had two buttons from his chest and belly. But what surprised him in disgust the most was that he was missing his left eye, with the chunk having wires sticking out and his remaining one eye both burnt out by possibly getting his soul sucked out. br /"Why..." 7 made a very soft murmur, her pupils shrunk by this horrifying sight, "w-who...would do this?"br /br / Not wanting to look at the worn out body anymore, the male dwarf turned to see a pile of dirt that was possibly dug out. In the front side of it, a shovel can be seen with it being shoved down unto the dead earth in order for it to remain standing. He went towards it and pulled it out, analyzing it while the remaining dirt on it rained back down unto the /"It could have possibly been 10," 16 glanced at that scene and turned back to the leader, "nobody, as a knowledge of a stitchpunk, can be out here right now than him."br /br /"How could he?!" She glared at it offended, "He's too loyal and clever to do this!"br /"But that just doesn't doesn't make sense," 12 turned to them, "we should atleast be glad that the body is still there."br /"Oh 12," she glared at him too, "don't you know ANYTHING about 5? Don't you know what is exactly missing?!" br /12 looked at her in disbelief by her harsh /"5's eyepatch is missing."br /br /-br /br / "Shh," 11 began to notice something while 19 was chatting with her, causing the white burlap to urge into continuing their conversation, "someone's here."br /the youngest decided to just listen anyways and hear shoutings that somebody came back. The twin sister quickly got up by this sound and glanced at her in a joyful /"They must have found 10!"br /She blinked before making a small hopeful smile. br /"Come on!" The older one noticed her reaction and gestured her before running off, making 19 get up and follow after her. It was already past sunset, which she didn't notice since she was so into talking to this new "friend" of hers. But she knew that nobody can ever leave somebody out there until they can find them, which she often heard what 9 would usually /br / After some bumpy paths along the way from the sewer, they finally got to the entrance and already saw all the group crowding around the search party in questionable murmurs. Obviously curious from this, she shoved past the gathering, making 11 decide to make herself turn into following her, until they reached the center. She saw 7,12, and 16. But 10 was nowhere to be found, causing the youngest to grow /"12!" She got a bit startled by the sister happily running and embracing her brother, catching him a bit in surprise, "I knew you guys would get here safely."br /"Really?" he still pat her head, despite showing a sassy behavior, "cause before I left, you gave me some of your survival tips."br /br / But 11 seemed to have skip that question when she released him in order to raise his arm up in order to reveal what's behind him. When nothing was seen, she then went behind him, searching for /"And where is that sneaky 10?" She asked, "is he playing hide-and-seek on me again?"br /"We didn't find him," 7 quickly answered to her, causing the female dwarf's smile to slowly disappear. The crowds were now asking more questions while, 19 was taken back in disbelief. The mother seemed to have notice this and step close to /"I know what you're thinking-"br /"How can you leave him out there?!" She blurted out. But 7 tried to be patient this time and halted /"That's what I was about to explain to the group. We have a bigger issue now." br /She this time decided to remain silent, but still gave a challenging look that the reason better be freaking good. She turn to the group and began her announcement by saying,br /"While we were searching for 10, we were at the phonogram area. I went down to look around 5's burial...only to notice that somebody dug out his grave."br /The few of the crowd shock on disbelief, this time with no comments but some exchange /"Did the body get stolen?" 15 now grew alerted by /"No," 7 replied, "but his eyepatch was taken."br /"What?!" 18's eyes widen, "but who would any of us here ever do that?"br /"Maybe it was a beast?" 17 spoke into the /br /"18's opinion is true," 12 answered, "we found a shovel right next to it. We think this dumb healer took it."br /"10?" 11 looked at him, not sure whether to believe /"Stop," 7 narrowed at 12, "10 would never do that! I know he respects his father better than that!"br /"But what if he needs it for something important?"br /7 glared at 11 too, possibly since she was starting to believe her brother's theory, causing the usually happy stitchpunk to be confused on what she did wrong. 12 was now a bit offended by this and pulled her close to him in protection. br /br / "I'm going to prove that he didn't take it," she turned to them, "15 and I will be searching your rooms until we find it. How the thief is going to get charge will be something I'll try to think of later."br /"7," 19 couldn't believe what she was hearing, "what about 10?"br /"Wherever 10 is, I'm sure he'll make it back here soon,"br /"But what if he's in danger?"br /"Look," she told her, "we've been looking for him the whole day, but now it's too late to find him. What we must worry about now is retrieve that patch back."br /br / 19 paused in complete /"Mom," she said, "that makes no sense whatsoever."br /"Oh, and what do you know about respecting bodies?"br /"7," 18 spoke up in a frown, "I don't want to upset you, but I think 19 is right. A life is more to worry about than just a missing patch. 10 is maybe lost or wounded for all we know."br /br /7 grew in disbelief and turned to see any approval of her opinion. But all she got were shy agreement towards what her daughter just said. She look at them, before growing in /"Fine," she threw down her spear, "do whatever you like. I don't wanna hear this nonsense anymore."br /She stormed away until she exited the room, causing all the group to stare at where she disappeared to. 19 looked out anxiously in what exactly got into her mind this time. 15 /"I'll go talk to her," she told them, "you go and get your rests. Hopefully we'll continue searching for him tomorrow." br /br /Her bell can be heard when she crawled away. The youngest watched as others began leaving, with 11 glancing back at her worried expression in /br /-br /br /19 was in her bedroom, that was a bit crowded with junks that she has found in the Emptiness. She was laying on her bed face up, looking at the hole of the ceiling that showed the beautiful moonlight sky. She was wondering if 10 was alive out there to look up at it too. But the fear still crept within her, later picturing 10 either screaming in pain or even silent by unconsciousness. Maybe he's hiding from the beast and is just hoping someone might jump in on time to save him. The few thoughts within her was where he was. What is he trying to do? Is it something that has to do with somebody that hurt him or herself? br /br /She can remember that last time she saw him last night. He looked upset about something he dazed out about. She can sometimes see that despite trying to wear a smile when it comes to people around him, especially herself, she always can't help but feel that something is bugging him. And if something was bugging him, why couldn't he just tell her?br /emIf only I can just find you so I can ask you these questions/em, she frowned in thought, emI worry about you. And I would do anything to make you feel better the same way you do to /embr /She finally decided to get up so she can lift up her pillow that was hiding that journal that 11 gave to her yesterday. She picked it up and opened it, revealing 9's handwritings. She made a sigh and place her hand on /"I guess that if you were here, you would be kind enough to tell me what to do," she made a slight mutter. She then began feeling this sudden urge that she often gets lately when it comes to this. It was Ofcourse the urge to talk to 9, but almost like she can feel his connection towards her. Not like she cared much about him in the beginning since she never met /br /Though there was something about people yapping about him over the years that gives her the need to atleast see what he looks like. She hates that feeling so much, knowing that it would never happen anyways. But besides these feelings, it was almost as if her thought was telling her that 9 would have question himself the same thing. But from what she heard from 10, it seems that the former leader would have always find a way to solutions. And one of the solutions would be to feel what he thinks is the right thing to do. She paused for a while in ponder before slowly closing the book down and looking up at the /"I guess if this is something that you would do," she pictured talking to 9, "than I will do what I think is right." br /She placed her book under the pillow and covered it before getting out of bed and leaving her /br /Few doors passed at the hallway, she recognize that she was approaching the opened curtain that lead to the twin's room. She responded by slowing her pace and carefully peeking in to see 11 and 12 cuddling with each other while fast asleep. Noticing that the blue bow stitchpunk was facing where it was possible that she can see her if she wakes up, she crept past the door and went back to her normal pace. br /br /But despite getting away, her fading footsteps caused the small female to drowsily flicker open her eyes. Meanwhile, the white burlap finally got the chance to approach the entrance room, where she sees the darkness of the Emptiness out that door. She turned to see that 7's spear, that she threw down earlier, was still there. 19 sigh, knowing she will be regretful of /"Sorry 7," she murmured and grabbed her /-br /br /"10!"br /19 walked past the outside world as she is nearly exiting the city and turned her head around endlessly. She then took a look at the last alley to check on, which was rarely dark to see /"10?!"br /Her voice echoed past the hallway. Nothing can be heard except for a sudden small screech before three red eyes were shown. Revealing to be a spider beast, she gasped to see it charge after her and quickly threw the spear at it, stabbing it past it head. She watched as it let out its last cry before collapsing on the ground, it glowing eyes fading out in the process. She cautiously step towards it, making sure it doesn't come back, and quickly pull the spear out of it heads, leaving more small sparks to fly out of it. br /I have to be careful, she thought while looking a bit nervously on her surrounding, I might attract a cat /br / She then decided to keep going, leaving the city, as the ground started getting muddier from a rain earlier and leaving her foot tracks behind her. It wasn't until later, she was farther away from the city, making her wonder if she was going on the right direction. But as soon as she approached a hill, she started noticing tiny markings on the wet ground. She caught up towards it and bent down to analyze it. It was then she noticed they were foot prints the size and shape of her own kind. It can only lead to one /"10..."br /br / She raised her head up to see the foot prints traveling up the hill. With them a bit faded, it doesn't seem that he didn't walk past up here long ago, but maybe around an hour or less. So she stood back up and ran up the hill, making sure she doesn't slip on the muddy ground and getting some part of her legs messy in the process. br /"10!" She called out by the time she finally got to the top, expecting that he might be sitting or standing around thinking about something. But she saw nothing but feel her heart sink when she saw that footprints get farther and farther away until they disappear into the horizon of the unknown. She anxiously looked back to see that she was now several miles away from home. If she keeps going now, there's a possibility she will never come back. Then she looked back at the new empty world. br /br / She then kept reminding herself of 10 being still out there. Maybe he's lost out there. If he was gonna get lost, she'll get lost. But she knew that it will pay a price. br /Her heart melt in sadness, but filled with determination to go out in whatever she will encounter. She took one last look at her home, possible that she will never see it again. br /"Goodbye everyone," she murmured. "Hopefully I'll see each of you again."br /There was nothing but silence except for the breeze slightly blowing her long braided head. Then she turned and started venturing out, taking her first few steps on her new journey. br /em"Go back..."/embr /She was halted in hesitation and confusion before glancing a bit around /emStrange/em, she thought,em I thought I heard some sort of voice./embr /She took one last look around before guessing that it was either the sound of the wind or imagining it. She continued walking down the /em"Go back!"/embr /br / She stopped again, now hearing the voice again, except louder with an echo. Her eyes trailed around her surroundings anxiously. She held 7's spear up by /"Who's there?"br /She waited for an answer. But all she heard next was whispering and soft mutters,  
almost as if the stranger was talking to itself. Analyzing the voice, it kind of almost sounds like a male. It had some sort of accent, so it definitely couldn't be her missing friend. She then decided to look behind her to see if the stranger was up the hill, but nothing. Then, few seconds of slowly taking several steps back, an eerie sound was heard and rapidly grew louder until something was glowing brightly behind her, causing 19 get startled when she quickly turned towards /br / Her eyes traced upwards to a green small spark floating down in front of her, catching her in the mixture of alert and curiosity. She waited until the spark was few feet close to the ground and remained settled there. Using her spear, she aimed at it and cautiously walked towards it. But before the spear can touch it, the spark let out a sharp glow, almost blinding her, and watched it start to form by seeing it start to quickly stretch out. She watched, taking steps back, as she spark stretch around itself until it formed an initial number of a "6".br /br /Then, when that happened, a figure blurred in by a gentle a ripple until it showed an appearance of a stitchpunk. Fearfully watching it float unto the ground, it slowly look up to her with eyes that each have different sizes. The figure even had several yarns on its head, making it seem like his hair. But she couldn't tell whether or not it was with the cringing fact that the yarns often twitch, as if his nerves were connected to it. His body had a bent position, with extremely faded stripes all over it, and really long and sharp fingers, making it look like it can possibly be almost as sharp as a cat beast. br /br / The figure had the expression as if he was a bit surprised to see her. But several seconds of examining her, he crept up towards her, causing 19 to aim her spear again and continue stepping back. br /"Go back," the figured said, letting its sharp hand slightly reach out towards her, "go back."br /"D...don't come any closer," her mouth shivered, trying to give a brave expression, "I'll stab you!"br /"No worry," his lip was now trying to form a shy smile as he slowly continue trying to come towards her, "no fear."br /br / She wasn't sure whether or not he was trying to say something to her, but there's a possibility that he was trying to trick her into coming to him just to do something /"Stay back!" She pointed the spear towards him, but was surprise that it never startled him and only continued on /"I said stay back!" She had no choice but to stab him on the neck, only to watch the spear go past him like he's some sort of air. In shocking disbelief, she kept on trying to go father away from him. br /"No fear," he continued, "no worry. Go back...go back!"br /br / 19 finally had no choice but to run up the hill away from him. She turned to see that the glowing stitchpunk still kept walking gently towards her with his arm completely reaching out, despite being farther away from him. But she just kept running up the hill, always glancing back to see if the figure wasn't catching up. She was now on top of the hill and began running down the other side of /"19-?"br /She then heard another different voice, but didn't have time to look in front of her before getting hit by a short figure. She can feel her body tumble down the hill, alongside with the figure she ran over earlier, as mud began covering half of her /br /It felt like a while, but the tumbling finally stopped, making her feel a bit exhausted from the result. She gently sat up while wiping some mud off her, until she heard a light moaning nearby and turned to see 11 lying face down on the ground, but was already trying to sit up to. br /"Oh scientist," her eyes widened and stood up, "hang on."br /She walked to the fallen dwarf, quickly, but gently getting her face away from the ground so she can breathe. She spit out mud in the process and looked around a bit with her optics completely covered with /br /"Woah," she murmured, "why is everything so dark?"br /"Let me get that," she bent down in front of her and used her arm to wipe each of the mud off her eyes. Once she has finished, the dwarf's eyes opened and looked up to /"Ah," she smiled, "that's much better!"br /"Are you ok? I should have looked back earlier," she frowned while trying to wipe mud off the pale stitchpunk's face. br /"Well," she looked at her body and rubbed one of her legs, "my legs may feel a bit off from the fall, but still walkable. Bit of aches here," she then rubbed her chest and paused for a while. br /"Yep!" She looked back at her, returning a smile, "I'm okay."br /br / The youngest sighed in relief, but now had time to ask her the question,br /"What are you doing out here? Were you-?"br /"I heard you walk out. So I followed you. But then you killed that poor spider beast, so I got a bit held up to do a little funeral for it. I found your foot prints and saw you run towards me...and here we are! Covered in mud!"br /19 froze a /"What about 12?"br /"He was still asleep when I left."br /br / "O...oh."br /11's smile faded when she took a look at her nervous /"What about you? Are you ok?" She then made slight chuckle, "you look as if saw an afterlife soul."br /"Um," she anxiously turned behind her to make sure that the glowing figure wasn't still following, but not a glow can be /"I...think I saw something," she turned back to her. "Did you see a green light in the distance? It was really bright."br /br / 11 tried to remember before slightly shaking her head, br /"I don't think so. Maybe I missed it?"br /The youngest sighed again and took a last glance at the /"Or maybe I was just hallucinating again?"br /"What do you mean by that?"br /"Nothing," she quickly answered, guessing that 10 still hasn't told her the white female's current condition, "it's nothing to worry about. Come on," she held her up and escorted her away from the area, "let's get out of here before something gets near us."br /br /The shorter one wanted to ask on what was on her mind, but decided to remain silent, looking back in curiosity on what exactly she saw on the other side of the hill. br /br /-br /br /"I know that you were going to leave us in order to find 10."br /19 looked a bit surprise by her speaking after walking all the way towards the library in silence with 7's spear on one of her hands. br /"How did you know?"br /"I...just guessed. But what made you want to come back?"br /19 didn't understand as well. She just felt that after seeing that figure, there was a strange sensation in her mind that was telling her to quit the journey. Instead, she said in a murmur,br /"I just felt something was telling me go back there. I don't think 10 would even want me to go out by myself like that. So..."br /br /br /She watch her voice trail off, her head lowering back down quietly. 11 pondered a bit as they were reaching the entrance, before deciding to block in front of her. She didn't know what she was exactly planning to do when she raised her face to the dwarf's face being lit up. br /"You know," 11 spoke, "10 is a really great guy. He's smart, he's cool, he really has a way in following his metals when it comes to survival. So I'm certain he's going to come back in wherever he went. So there's really nothing to be worried about.."br /br /"That silly guy will be in our entrance before you know it!"br /19 frowned a /"I hope you're right."br /"Now come on now," she walked up close to her, "let's see the that bright little smile of yours!"br /The youngest look down at her, not certain if she's comfortable in doing it when her friend is still out there. When she noticed that she was not responding to what she wanted, she tiptoed up high enough to to wrap her arms around her, letting her cheek press unto her stomach. br /"Come on," she raised her head up in a sweet smile, "it's not so hard to make. Smile for me!"br /The way how innocent and hopeful she looked while randomly hugging, suddenly gave her the delight to make a soft laugh, cracking a smile during this. This gave the small one complete /"That's much better. In fact, I don't think I saw you laugh in quite a while."br /Her laughter died down, letting the youngest look down at her heartwarmingly. She petted her blue bow head, resulting in 11 making a huge playful and soothing giggle at this /"I don't think you're that bad once people get to know you."br /br /11 reopened her eyes to look back at /"You not so bad too, 19."br /The younger one just chuckled again as she kept rubbing her head. br /"I knew it!" br /They both got startled by a male's voice and turned to see 12 in the entrance with a dagger before throwing it down and pacing up towards /br /"I knew you were up to something today!" 12 scolded, making his sister look uneasy and guilty from /"I'm sorry 12," she made a huge /"Oh yeah, if you WERE sorry," he broke 11's hug on 19, "you would have only accidentally speak to her once. I don't even think you were guilty when I saw you get out of our bed, just to risk going outside to save her. You know better than that!"br /br /"Wait," 19 spoke up in huge suspicion, making the twins both look at her, "I don't understand what going on here. What did she do wrong?"br /"Do you think it's even your business?" 12 made a small glare at /"Well if you're scolding at her for no good reason," she made a slight narrow, "then yes." br /11 was begin to notice their attitude towards each other, making her feel uncomfortable on what might happen /"U-um."br /br /"And what are you going to do? Banish me into Emptiness? You're not even the leader here."br /"Okay," she argued back, "first of all, I would never want to do anything like that. Second, I may not be a leader, but I'm sure 7 will love it if I tell her what you've been doing to your sister."br /"You think I'm cruel to 11? Just so you freaking know, I'm trying to protect her-"br /"By treating her as if she killed a stitchpunk?!"br /"G-guys?" she looked at them /br /"We all have different ways in teaching people what is good and bad. JUST like what your mother does."br /The leader's daughter just glared at him in /"Come on Leven," 12 began escorting her away from her, "I'm gonna have to get you cleaned up again."br /There was this sudden alert within her from the female dwarf's worried look when he began escorting her gave her the action to immediately catch up towards them, snatching her away from the brother saying,br /"I won't let you go like this-!"br /br /12 jumped back in /"DONT YOU DARE TOUCH MY SISTER!" He strongly blurted out, quickly snatching her back while saying it and making her let out a short gasp. They both strongly glared at each other in a while, now making the small female look completely uncomfortable by this. br /"U-um...guys? Please?"br /19 then finally looked back at 11, her glare slowly fading by how the argument was now beginning to scare her. She did her best to soothe her anger down before looking back at 12 still staring at her in /"You know what?" Her tone went deep, "do whatever you want. But whatever happens to her is YOUR responsibility. You just make sure nothing happens to her."br /br /She turned and walked away from /"I will," he gave a warning tone, making 11's eyes widen a bit by his behavior. 19 stopped when he said this. But deciding to continue ignoring him, she narrowed down and walked out of the room. The twin stared out in silence before the red helmet one turned to /"And now you know what happens if you disobey me."br /11 frowned in complete guilt, but then tried to smile at /"I can make it up for it. W-will another human hobby be-"br /"Come on," he began leaving the room, making her feel down by his anger towards her. br /br /She wanted to know how to make up for the incident from earlier. She was beginning to decide on a plan while she followed him out of the entrance room in complete /br /-br /br /strongEnd of episode 3br /strong/p 


	8. Episode 4: I Awakened Something pt1

The thunder rumbled in a far distance during early dawn, as few puddles were formed somewhere outside the library. The ceilings in each room would fall down on those unlucky stitchpunks who are trying to sleep, with each if them either muttering something in their slumber, or have to move to another room so they wouldn't get rained on. There was one dark bedroom that did not have leaks falling from the ceiling. But there was still disturbance within there. A groaning of fear and pain can be heard by one of the stitchpunks in the bed, which was a simple burlap male slightly tossing and his squeezing eyes shut before his hand started gripping unto his lower left shoulder. Hearing the uncomfortable sound grow louder, a white female stitchpunk, revealing to be 7, sat up from the right side of the bed and turned to see the male next her still squirming on the bed.

This made her fully awake, realizing the symptoms.

"9," she rubbed his arm, "9, wake up. 9!"

The younger one's eyes finally snapped opened in a sharp gasp, while rapidly sitting up. He was still clutching his left arm, making heavy pantings in fear.

"Shh," she stroke her mate's shoulder, "it's okay, sweetie. Everything's ok."

It took a while for his hand to lighten his grip and his breathings to soften, afterwards turning to his lover in slight embarrassment.

"S-sorry. Just another nightmare."

"I know," she kept soothing him and her head rest on his shoulder for a moment. "Were you in pain? You looked like you were pain in that nightmare of yours."

"Umm...I-" he hesitated and looked at his left shoulder where his red-stitched scar was. 7 noticed this and placed her hand there.

"Did you get hurt here?"

"It's nothing," he gave a small shy grin, "it was only a dream. As long as I'm not hurt in reality, then I'm perfectly-"

"I always worry 9," her eyes met his, "I hate seeing you suffer like this. A dream or not."

The leader decide not to argue, letting her gently kiss his scar and resulting in a feeling of a warm comfort by her smooth lips pressing against it. As soon as she pulled away, she stroke his cheek in silence.

"You must be still tired. Try to get some rest, and I'll be right beside you."

He decided to obey her, with the warrior settling him back unto their bed and then nuzzle him . He let the warmth of her body spread unto his by letting one arm wrap around her body before closing his eyes shut. But It wasn't until as hard as he tried, ten minutes later, he just couldn't seem to be falling asleep. So all he just did was just stare up at the ceiling in wonder, hearing the thunder dying away, and the rain becoming lighter. He can still feel the uncomfortable with the Machine, using its claw to strongly pull his arm. He painfully watched as each of his red stitches would be plucked off until his arm is completely torn off, hearing the monster being screech in pride before starting to loose consciousness from the excruciating pain.

It was every single one of those nightmares like the recent one. The machine glares upon him, ready to hunt him in whatever moves it can. Whether it's to torture him or those he loves, it is hard to choose which ones the worse. Cause from what he can see, they seem to get worse by every dreams he passes through. And the more he gets them, the more he feels ready to fall into insanity. The only reason he hasn't done so in the past years was for his love for 7 and their family. As long as they're safe, he feels safe too.

But that doesn't answer as to why these dreams never stop. Usually, repeated dreams last until a month through a year. But this repeated nightmare that he's going through has lasted for scientist knows how long. He just couldn't help but wonder what's the cause of it. Whatever it is, he knows he's not just overthinking. He blinked twice at one last stare at the ceiling before gently moving his body away from his cuddling position with 7 and left his bed.

The white one obviously noticed, watching the zippered stitchpunk go through their desk, pulling out a paper underneath it.

"9?"

She got out of bed to walk over to him analyzing 6's drawing of the talisman's signs, which made her wonder why he's looking at it again after so many years.

"9," his copper-made finger traced through the drawing, "what's wrong?"

"I have to figure out what's causing all these dreams. It must be trying to tell me something. Something about the Machine."

He then turned to her in worry.

"I have a feeling that were not out of the battle yet."

He watched the beautiful female look concern back.

"No...you don't mean that the machine is-"

"I'm not sure yet. It could be possible, but I'm hoping it isn't the case."

He then anxiously kept stroking the drawing.

"Do you think 6 is sending me these dreams?"

"6?" Her eyebrow raised, "why 6?"

"Because," he turned to her, "if our friends have the power to encounter their soul relatives, then can each of them have their own power ability? 6 had the ability see the past and future. So it can also be the possibility that he has the afterlife ability to send visions to other mortal lives like us."

"You might be right," she thought about it and raised her head back up to him, "but I don't think 6 would ever want to tell you something in such a cruel manner.

The leader dipped his head,

"That's probably true. However," he turned back to the drawing, "if 6 isn't doing so, then who is?"

7 remained quiet from that question, not having a single clue to it.

"Something isn't right 7," he frowned, "none of these dreams feel right at all. I need to know what these dreams are telling me. If I don't, I feel that whatever is coming might risk the lives of our family. Just like what happened to the friends that we lost."

There was a moment of silence.

"I just can't loose anyone again," he murmured and closed his eyes shut.

9 had the expression of guilt from that past, filling the smooth white stitchpunk with complete sorrow on their losses. She can't even forget that few years after the battle, 3 and 4 were gone too, making her go into grief for a week. She wasn't sure what would happen if she lost 9 too. But she knew that she would do anything to keep him safe, even if it means costing her life. Him and the new lives too. This caused her to already make her decision and place her hand on his.

"Then I'll go with you," she had soft determination in her tone.

The zippered male turned to look in surprise.

"It will be dangerous."

"Dangerous?" She made a playful smirk, "I awoken to face danger."

9 smiled back,

"Heh, I see that instinct of yours hasn't fade a bit."

"No," she replied, " and I'm not planning on losing it."

7 did feel her heart melt a bit by seeing him give that warm expression, leaving them dazed off with each other for a while.

"Anyways," the younger one snapped back to reality, "were gonna have to go ahead and fetch 10 for company. Who knows if we get lost or hurt out there."

7 dipped her head in agreement and started following off the bedroom. Then something hit her mind, causing her to immediately stop.

"9, wait!"

He did as she said and looked at her.

"I wanted to give you it for your awakening day. But now I feel this mission is important enough to give it to you now. Follow me."

She gestured him when saying the last sentence, with the lover following her to the huge rug in the hallway. 7 then halted him to wait there, ending up making him just watch the fighter roll up the edge of the rug. Putting much effort to it, a tiny roll up of the rug was good enough to reveal a cracked hole, with some sort of thin wrapping within there.

She picked it up and walked up to her mate in a smile.

"I thought you might love this," she lend it to him, seeing how the wrapping was formed like some sort of long stick, with one round lump on top of it. It looked familiar to something, but something he hasn't seen for a long time, already building up that common curiosity of his.

"Well," he glanced up at her with her arms crossed and still smiling, "what are you waiting for?"

He paused in a blink before looking back down at his wrapped gift. He decided to carefully open it, not wanting to tear the thin fabric, in case it can be useful later. He first got to open half of it with a well carved wooden stick, guessing it might be some sort of new weapon. But as soon as he opened the upper side of it , where the rounded lump was, a light bulb being attached to it was the one that completely caught his sight. Old memories of one item, despite only having it for a day flooded back to him.

7 couldn't help but giggle by his eyes widening in complete astonish.

"Scientist..." He stroked the new light staff. He then looked at the lightbulb and place his hand on it to twist it. He did get a bit startled when it flickered on, but then resulted in letting out a huge grin of joyous laughter.

"Scientist!" He kept looking at it in complete awe and happiness, never wanting to let go of it. He didn't know why he wanted to feel emotional over a lifeless staff, but he guess it was because he thought he would never see it again.

When he watched it get crushed from destroying a seamstress, he did get a bit upset about it. But by around that time, all he was glad about was that he got 7 out of that beast safely. He knew since he made it with 5 that it wasn't gonna last long. But when he had it, he did felt like he can relate to the staff somehow. Possibly by how the light makes him think of life and hope. There was just somehow this feeling that as long as he carries it around, with as cruel as the world can be, he can always find a way to see hope along the way.

But after losing that staff, he just shrugged it off, knowing that the staff was just a staff and that he can survive without it. He never thought it would possible to rebuilt it anyways. But now that it's resting on his hands again, all he can feel is complete hope that anything can be possible in life.

"How...h-how is it-?!"

"I was quite lucky to remember its exact detail," she told him, "but I didn't do it alone. 16 and 11 were kind enough to help me build it together. We couldn't find a good replaceable metal stick to look exactly like your old one, so that's why we instead put in a wooden one. The lightbulb wasn't really hard to find. As well as the battery."

He just kept looking at it in complete surprise.

"S...7. I...don't know what to say."

"I knew you would like it," she looked at him heartwarmingly happy by his joy. She did get surprise herself when he quickly pulled her in for a hug by just one arm.

"You're the best," he happily murmured. "I love it so much, 7."

She body froze, but gave an emotional smile before embracing him back with her eyes closing peacefully.

"I knew you would say that, sunshine."

 **llllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll**

 **I awakened something**

 **llllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll**

10 groaned uncomfortably while placing a cloth on a teacup of water and squeezing water in the process. He then was about to place it on the side of his head until he heard the sound of footsteps.

"Goodmorning, 10. We wanted to see if you-"

The room visitor halted when he saw the healer stop from whatever he was doing and turned to see his mentor, alongside with 7 just behind him.

"Oh," his voice sounded stress, "morning 9."

9 noticed that he had a look of discomfort.

"Are you alright? Something seems to be bothering you."

"No," he sighed, "nothing's bothering me at all. Its just-dammit!" He muttered in irritation when he quickly pressed his palm onto his right head in pain. 9 frowned, with 7 just letting him walk towards the younger male.

"Here," he rest his hand on his shoulder, "I think you should lie down."

"It's okay 9," he slightly regained recovery, "nothing's wrong with me. I just had a dumb night was all. You see, there was this loud thunder that woke me up. But mind was still half asleep and I thought we were under attack.

"I tried to take a quick action by getting off the bed," he lowered his head and kept rubbing his injured area, "which that didn't end well."

9 blinked in hesitation.

"You should have come get me."

"Actually, 11 was lucky enough to hear a thud in my room and come to check on me. But she couldn't stay there long since 12 was angry on her leaving him in the room during the storm."

He then looked down at the wet cloth.

"I was thinking that maybe putting this on my head would atleast soothe the pain down, since I often heard in books that humans would cool their wound down in order to get that result. I'm not sure if it will, help, but it's the only thing I can think of.

"And how bad is it?" The leader replied.

"I don't think its bad-ow ow ow!"

9 apologized for feeling his non-seen injury without telling him, which 10 often doesn't mind it much. He just waited for the result of the diagnose when he pulled his hand away.

"You're right. Just a very minor head injury," he slightly smiled in relief, "not even a chunk. It is a bit warm since it's still recovering."

"But do you think 10 is well enough to company?" 7 joined into the conversation

10 turned to his mate in slight confusion.

"What does she mean by that?"

9 knew that this was now a bad time to say it, worried it might upset him, but decided to do so anyways.

"We were wondering if you would join with us in the Emptiness. There's...something important we have to investigate. But it depends how bad you're hurt, since I don't want to risk your health by putting in all the stress towards it."

"Me?" He was starting to fully straighten up, "I mean...it may hurt, but I'll handle it fine."

"Are you sure," he look slightly worried, "it may be rough getting you back to the base if you start to get worse,"

"9, I'll be fine," he tried to give a reassuring expression, "if anything, I can just take some medical kits with me. I won't fail you."

The zippered male tried to decide this while giving a blank look. During this, 7 place both her hand on his shoulder while behind him.

"Darling," she whispered to him, "I know you're worried that you might get him upset. But if you feel he's not in good condition, then you don't-"

"Alright," 7 blinked in surprise by his answer, "you may go."

10 smiled in relief.

"Thanks 9," he said, "I'll go ahead and pack my stuff."

9 made a small emotional smile, watching him run next to the office desk and pull out his backpack before beginning to pack his stuff. As the leader glanced at his mate, he notice that she looked a bit uneasy.

"You didn't have to force yourself."

His smile disappeared.

"That's not why I did it," he lightly shook his head, "I trust him enough to make it through the injury."

"But," she frowned more, "if it's something that has to relate to your close friend,-"

Her voice was cut off when she notice that his face turned to her in a slight upset look. She quickly realized that her sentence was the reason for this, just by how much his expression quickly changed from it, causing her to already show guilt.

"It's not because he reminds me of 5."

Her eyes flickered in surprise by easily mentioning the name, which she was trying to avoid mentioning in that sentence.

Is that why he got mad at me?

She already felt like apologizing, despite not knowing her exact mistake, until she noticed that 10 has stopped packing just to stare at them talk in a curious expression. They both fell silent, wondering if they heard the conversation or not. How will they explain this to him?

"Oh sorry," the youngest one in the room regained attention, "I was about to tell you, since I forgot to tell you earlier, that I like that staff that you're carrying. Is it suppose to be yours?"

"Oh, um, yeah," he made a shy smile, "7 got help making it for me."

"Really? Wow," he smiled and glanced back at the light staff, "I think 11 would be so interested in seeing this thing."

"Actually," the beautiful female teased, "she already saw it. Her and 16 were the ones who helped make it."

"Really?" The young healer blinked in surprised, "geez, she's strangely getting better with crafting everyday."

The leader slightly nodded in agreement.

"Right," 10 looked back at his backpack and continued packing, "let me just continue this so we won't waste time."

He couldn't help but smile again, watching his apprentice continue packing. He was interrupted by the touch of his lover's hand and turned to see her still wearing guilt and concern. This caused him to place his hand on hers.

"It'll be alright...trust me."

7 did not know whether or not to reason with him again. But afraid on getting him upset again, she tried to atleast fill a bit of trust in her expression.

 **lllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll**

With his staff lighting up part of the Emptiness, the trios walked almost an hour through the Emptiness until they halted in front of a nearly demolished building, which leads up to the first room. 10 was the one to walk up, while carrying the harpoon, to 9 and ask him a question.

"So you think that this might be where the information of the machine is?"

"It should be," he answered out, "this was where the scientist use to work and live in. And since he created the machine, his recordings of his studies should be up there.

"It's quite a long way up."

"You've been here before," the leader told him, "remember when I showed it to you last time?"

"I know but..." He looked up short silence. "N-Nevermind. We shouldn't waste any time."

"Good idea," 7 dipped and started leading the way, "let's get going."

10 followed after her, with the youngest original stitchpunk standing in wonder of what troubled 5's son in the first place. While pondering about it, they were already near the stairs when 7 turned to see him far out.

"Hey, aren't you coming?"

9 blinked back into reality and gave his head a dip in embarrassment before trying to pace up with the others. It took only few minutes for them to reach the stairs and start stepping up one by one. Despite 7 hopping the fastest, she gave herself a slow pace so that the others can catch up.

Meanwhile, the leader used his staff to climb up each step and 10 was behind them, climbing up the slowest. It wasn't long, after several steps,was when 10 let out a painful moan and immediately bent down to clutch his injury with one hand.

The soulmates immediately stopped to turn back at him.

"10!" The burlap one's eyes slightly widened and jumped back few steps to get to the young healer.

"10," he bent down and aided him while 7 caught up too, "are you ok?"

"Ugh," 10 slowly recovered and looked up a bit exhausted, "I'm ok. The stairs are just making my head ache."

9 frowned,

"If you want, you can wait down there-"

"No!" He protested, catching him a bit of by surprise until his voice later soften.

"I...can do it," he looked back up at him, "I'm strong."

9 paused for a while and sigh.

"Alright," he said, "but I'm gonna have to carry your backpack and you for now.

"No 9," 7 spoke up in time before 10 can try to stop him, "let ME hold him. You take care of the backpack."

"I think that sound likes a better idea," he spoke in agreement and turned to him in a gesture to hand him his bag. Sighing in slight defeat, he decided to give it to him anyways and watch the smooth white one move towards him in order to let one of his arm settle on her back. They continued on moving, with 10 atleast not feeling himself get worst by every step and let his legs get a little break.

He looked unto 9, who was courageously moving up with the bag on him. Feeling guilt he murmured,

"I'm sorry."

The other male turned by his unexpected response.

"For what?" He made a friendly chuckle, "you didn't do anything wrong."

"yeah, but if I didn't beg you to bring me here...you...both of you..."

His voice trailed, letting 9 already know what he is trying to tell him and have the turn to talk.

"You know," he said, "I love how much loyalty you have within you. You always impress me on what it is to show respect for the group. But it's also better to care about your health too. Sometimes, you have to figure that by any levels of situation in which one to care about the most. Which one is in more need. You understand?"

10 frowned and slowly nodded. But by that expression, the older male gave a soft smile.

"You're still young," he continued, "but you're really smart for one. It's going to be hard making decisions like what you did here. But I promise it'll get better."

He gave a warm look.

"I'm proud of you."

He honestly was taken back in surprise, despite knowing that always have a way in impressing the person that he also calls his friend. But he couldn't help but decide to emotionally smile back.

"Alright," 7 smiled, "enough with the little family moment. Just one step left."

10 nearly tripped when 7 kept moving, apologizing afterwards, as they made up all their way to hallway, that doesn't have roof anymore and with half of the walls missing. As soon as they got near the first room, the female released the youngest of the group. 9 then came up to him and said,

"You should go ahead and settle down on the floor. You need some rest. If you need anything, call us."

10 decided not to argue with him, with the leader settling him down unto the ground and against the wall. He then placed his backpack right next to him.

"It shouldn't take long," he replied and stood back up before signaling to his mate to continue moving on to the scientist's former office.

By the time they moved on to the room, it changed only slightly than it was nearly twenty years ago. The ground now had lots of cracks, with walls getting rusted out from the rain. Luckily, the books don't look as if they slightly aged. Nearby the desk, where he and 7 awoke in, was the body of their creator, now decayed into a skeleton, with still small amount of his white hair remaining. 9 decided to blink away pitifully at the corpse.

"There should be some papers over there that holds some answers," he looked at the scattered papers on the left side of the room.

7 gave a dip and answered,

"I'll check on the right side," before splitting apart from her soulmate. Watching her leave at the moment, he turned back to the papers and walked up towards them. By the time he got right near them, he looked at all of them to see in which one he should look at first. Then it caught his eyes when he saw one of them that had a detailed drawing of a stitchpunk looking just like him, which he realized was the same drawing he once caught in awe at. But he didn't have time to analyze it before the wind blew it away, which ended up making him find a projecting box that would uncover the source.

Now looking at it again, he almost felt as if he was once again looking at it for first time. He decided to place his glowing light staff down, with it still lighting up the sight of the scattered papers, and bent down to lift off half of the paper. Letting his eyes rest on the hand-drawn eyes, he took the chance to finally rest his fingers on it, letting it stroke half of the very detailed body. This caught him to wonder as to what his creator was thinking when he began planning on making him. When he began trying to be creative on what he may look like, despite ending up looking simple than some of his other deceased and living friends.

He recorded his messages for him, because he knew it would cost his life in giving birth to him. Did he had doubts that they were all gonna fail? Did he doubt on leaving such tiny innocent creatures to roam a new risky world like this? And if they win, what was the Scientist planning on them doing next?

"Good afterlife..."

He turned to the feminine voice, who was not as far as he expected her to be, to see that she was looking at a paper too.

"You found something?"

"Not anything related to the machine," she then smirk before showing the paper as much as she could, "but I found something else pretty intresting."

Looking closely at the paper, he realized that it was another drawing of a descriptive stitchpunk that looked exactly like her.

"I think he was actually planning on making a beautiful and crazy woman."

9 smiled.

"If he was, he did it just right."

"So you're calling me crazy."

"I don't think crazy is the right word," he made a slight shrug, "more like a bold and strong women who often gets confused with her surroundings like everybody else in the group."

She blinked in surprise, but decided to answer in rolling her eyes and let out a chuckle. He can sense her blushing during this.

"Come on," she replied, "let's keep looking."

9 blushed back, but not long for what she said, and looked back on the drawing. Placing it down, he continued to search forward. Apparently, the other drawing didn't show any information that relates to the machine. So he decided to continue walking closer to where the bookshelves were nearby. But it didn't take long when he turned his head slightly to the left side, he notice that one of the books fell off. There was something within him that told him to check on it, which he did so by walking towards it.

Pulling it out from against the bookshelf, he caught a clearer view of it, which was a thin small book, with spirals on the side. He curiously began opening the book, which wasn't hard to do due to its thin cover, and turned some pages until the first thing that caught him was an instructing drawing attempts of a small and original appearance of the machine. But because he forgot his staff beside the papers, he can rarely see the letters that the scientist written.

"Hey 7," a small white figure reappeared from behind the table, "grab my staff. I think I found something."

Obeying this, she paced up to carried the staff and go to him so she can light up the sight of the drawing and the handwriting.

"Woah," she awed a bit, "you just have a way in finding things pretty fast."

His emotions did happily flutter a bit by that compliment, but quickly faded by the time he noticed something in disappointment.

"The writing are all in a different language," he rest his hand on it. He then turned to 7 asking,

"Can you read this?"

She leaned in to investigate it, only to move her face away from it and glance at the leader in a frown.

"I'm sorry," she slightly shook her head, "I can't read it either."

This caused his curiosity to grow big enough to feel him slightly stress from this situation.

"but these notes should hold the answer to something," he anxiously started flipping pages, "there's just have to be a way in translating this."

But knowing how his urge in solving something was not going to make things any better, she placed her hand on his shoulder, which he quickly looked her.

"9," she reassured him, "calm down. I'm sure that 13 knows much about this. He has been reading lots of books, so he must know some languages. But even if he doesn't, there another chance on finding clues."

The leader blinked in a pause. He then sighed,

"You're right, there's probably another clue that the scientist or...any human store information on the machine."

He then looked down at the journal.

"It will just take a while to find."

"Hm," she smirked a bit in trying to feel positivity, "well there's atleast something we can do in this world other than protecting our families."

"This IS related to protecting our families," he pointed out.

"Well," she pondered a bit, "that's true. But what I also mean is that were doing something like the old times...right?"

His eyes locked back on hers in realization. Despite all the struggles he went through in finding answers on the machine and source, he couldn't help but now indeed miss being fascinated by solving the puzzles to all the mysteries. As long as it doesn't harm anyone, it atleast feels like going back in time, except that the disappearance of their friends didn't changed. But forgetting that part, he made a hopeful smile.

"Right," he responded, "like the old times."

The female smiled even more, praising her task on cheering her beloved friend up. But after a warm moment of silence, his smile had its limit and he looked out at the exit. She followed his gaze too and back at him.

"What is it?

"We might as well bring 10 in here," he grabbed his staff away from his lover and used it to help himself stand up.

"Were possibly gonna be here longer than we thought."

 **lllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll**

It was a month since their investigation began. Two days ago, a new stitchpunk was added to the family. When 7 came back from the Emptiness, she decided to check on the newborn, who was quietly sitting on the ground and sketching her drawings. 16 was with her to keep her company, despite her rarely talking to it too. When she came into the weapon maker's room, it looked up to her in a blank expression.

"Oh 7," the genderless said, "you're back. How was the investigation?"

She made an exhausted sigh,

"It's getting harder. 9 and 10 did found few clues yesterday, but nothing today."

"Hey," it shrugged, "atleast the two found something yesterday. So there IS recent progress going on.

"True," she agreed before later tracing her eyes on the new member of the group, who was shyly, but curiously, staring up at her. The eldest female decided respond with a greeting smile and bent down to clearly face her.

"How are you fitting in, 18?"

The youngest female hesitated in a stare.

"Um," she tried smile while shrugging, "good I guess. 16 showed me how to draw and they seem really intresting so far."

The white one was satisfied that her tone in her voice was starting to sound clearer than what it was earlier. On the day she awoke, she rarely spoke to anyone. And yesterday, her word came out as a soft mumbling sound. So she can tell that her settling in this base was developing pretty well, day after day. So probably by next week, she will act pretty outgoing towards others.

"Well that's very good to hear," she replied.

"Mm...hmm," she anxiously turned her head really slowly while saying this and then did it quick to go back to her drawing, watching her shy expression wash away and see her attention drift off to another unknown world.

The elder glance back up at 16.

"Funny," she told it, "she acts just like 6."

"Probably," it said, "but did 6 ever liked to read?"

7 did wondered about that, only remembering how 6 would always hide alone to work on his drawings of the same exact things. But never has she once saw him try to read books.

"She read something?"

16 nodded.

"I woke up early in the morning see her read one of the book around the library. She was interested in looking back on histories of human. Though she would later go to read about animals, which she thought found them cuter than humans."

18 snapped back to reality on hearing this and look at him in slight mixture of irritation and embarrassment.

"Sorry," 16 retorted to her, but ended up seeing her just look back on the drawing with now only embarrassment.

Noticing that this subject of her character was beginning to make her uncomfortable, 7 decided to change it by asking,

"So do you know where 9 went?"

"9?" 16 frowned a bit and tried and looked a bit uncomfortable from the question,"well, I did saw him. But..."

"Wait," they were surprised that she quickly lit up in interest, "are you talking about this wise, sweet, guy with a zipper on his chest?"

"Ofcourse," she chuckled, "he introduced you. Remember?"

"Almost forgot to tell you," 16 pointed out, "she can often forget people's names-"

"Yeah," the youngest continued, "he was here just a moment ago."

"18," 16 anxiously glanced at her, "I think I should tell her-"

"Let her talk," she softly scolded it and politely looked back at her, "continue, 18."

"Yeah," she obeyed, "he came in to talk to me. He was very sweet to me."

"That's very nice to hear," she gently smiled, "so where did he went off to?"

"Um," 16 bit it's lips, preparing on what she was going to say, "he had to leave since he had an issue with his chest. Something about that it was suddenly beginning to ache and that he had to go see 10?"

It only took 7 to a split second have a pale blank expression. She then looked at 16, who was wearing a concerned look.

"I thought it would be better to hear it from me."

She made another pause.

"Damn it," she muttered in worry and dropped her spear before rushing out of the room. This caused the two to look at the exit, with the room being quiet again, before slowly looking towards each other.

"Can I go with her?" She curiously asked, "I wanna see what's going on."

But 16 just blinked before moving the unfinished drawing towards her,

"How about you finish that thing I want to see," the older one tried smiling, "I've been waiting quite a while now."


	9. Episode 4: I Awakened Something pt2

There are thoughts that people might think she's crazy or overreacting when it comes to hearing the news that something might be wrong with 9. But even if they do, she wouldn't even matter. She has seen almost her past friends perish right before her eyes and doing nothing but to helplessly look away. There was just no way that she would let the same thing happen to him. Sure, 9 was the reason they are dead, but it wasn't long when she realized that she makes mistakes too. Such as when she nearly killed 1 out anger for finding out that he sent 2 out to the Emptiness in order to die.

Or when she has doubt 9 several times of all the ideas he brings up. Especially the time when he tries to explain that their friends' soul were all trapped within the machine. She did surely felt pity and some guilt when the youngest, at that time, grew upset at her disbelief and ran off to find answers. But more than that, her disbelief could have done more harm to the souls than what 9 mistakenly did. She was guessing that's one of those reason why she can relate to him.

But it also not the only reason why she fell for him. Despite being clumsy from his curiosity, he has proved to be wise and filled with good deed enough to be a good leader. Even through every cruel event they might come through, he rarely doubts, which makes him the opposite of the female fighter. He always tries to find a better way in solving situations until it is finally solved. He even saved her back in the machine factory when she thought everybody, especially 1, would think that she was already done for. He was just a stitchpunk that she never thought would exist. The one who would stand up for what is right when others easily get put down by 1 or 8 for their beliefs. The one who has the ability to tenderly convince them, and at the same time, watch over them once he gets them into something.

It gave her this affection for him that seemed different from all the others. A strange and new kind of love that she never experienced before, but at get same, hopes that it never ends. She was wondering off on those thoughts of her lover, but still in complete worry, as she was running past the hallways. It only took a minute for her to see a curtain entrance that lead's to 10's room, hearing the healer talking to someone, before she flew the curtain open.

"9?!"

Both him and the leader, who was lying on the clinic bed with no visible symptoms of pain or illness, got startled and quickly turned at the white stitchpunk. His zipper was also opened up, revealing his voice box and a plugger below it, along with other metallic skeleton. As for 10, he was wearing his headlight that was lit up.

"7," 10 turned off his headlight in complete concern, "is everything alright?"

But she didn't listen and quickly paced up to her soulmate while taking her bird skull off her head and placing it on the floor.

"9," bent down towards him as the leader was a bit surprised when she anxiously stroke his head with both her hands until they went down to his cheeks, "are you gonna be okay? Are you hurt or weak?"

"7," he responded in a soft teasing chuckle as he took one of her hand and gently grasp it with both of his hands, "I'm alright. It's just a little ache in my chest."

"Oh right," 10 rubbed his head in slight embarrassment, "I should have planned on getting you right when I heard that you came back. But 9 has a heat."

7 turned a blink in worry.

"Now luckily, it doesn't look bad," he placed his hand on his mentor's chest, "it's just a bit warm. The only thing that he needs is to place a cool wet cloth there so the heart engine can cool down. It can take around a day or two, so 9's gonna have to rest here for now."

"That's fine," the zippered one spoke up, "I'll get back to my studies-" he made an uncomfortable wince for a moment, which was possibly another ache passing through his chest, before relaxing again, "-later."

7 and 10 glanced at each other when this symptom occurred.

"Go get him the wet blanket," she told him.

"On it," he dipped his head and grabbed a dry cloth from the medical desk before leaving them. As soon as 9 realized it was only the two of them, he looked up at the warrior.

"So," he said as 7 turned her head to him, "did you find anything out there?"

"No," she sighed, "I was going to see the chancellor's mansion that might hold some answer. But the cat beast was wondering around there. I was thinking of killing it off, but I didn't want to take the risk."

"Good," he softly smiled, "I wouldn't want you to get hurt. But even if you did, the small good chance would be that you sliced its head off the same way you did to the last one."

"That was a long time ago silly," she smirked, "the last time I killed a cat beast was when I first met you. Even if I did now," she took a glance at the leg that had a small stitch on the front and back from fighting a wing beast, "I won't jump high the same way I did when I cut its head off."

"Maybe," he glanced at it too, "but you can always use the other leg."

"That's not how it works," she laughed.

"You should try it," he meant it in a slight shrug, "that can be higher percent that you won't put yourself at risk."

"Alright," she playfully shook her head and tenderly stroke his head, "you know what? Why don't you go ahead and take a rest? I think the heat is taking over your mind a bit,"

"But why would I want to stop the good conversation when you're still here?"

She rolled her eyes a bit,

"Alright, you got me there. But I hope you're not doing the conversation so I can stop worrying about you."

"Well if I actually am," he place his hand on her cheek, "it's working."

She smiled in a mixture of a lovingly and teasingly way.

"You stupid dork," she made a soft tone before leaning close to him enough to press her lips against his. He did feel a bit surprised when she did it, but already decided to accept it after a second before closing his eyes. Letting the warmth of affection for her spread across his body, they kept kissing for several seconds.

That is, until 10 came into the room with a wet cloth and halted at this sight. They immediately pulled away and look at him, right when they heard him approach, remaining silent for a moment. But with how both of their embarrassed expressions were shown, 10 felt that he was forced to humorously smile.

"You guys just never seem to impress me,"

"Oh yeah," 7 rubbed her head and clear her throat, "we try our best."

But besides being embarrassed, 9 let out a soft laughter from this scene, which atleast cheered the female up and look at him heartwarmingly.

His laugh. It always had a way in making her smile.

"Well anyways," 10 continued, "I didn't mean to break your privacys, but I going to need a bit of room."

7 dipped her head and moved back a bit so the young healer can stand in front of the sick patient. Gently placing the wet blanket and spreading it out on his chest, 9 can felt the hot and aching feeling melt away a bit, giving him the moment to sigh in relief.

"Yeah," the younger male said, "I think that should do the trick. The only helpful thing you can do now is just try to get some rest. Usually, the temperature in our body cools down a bit whenever were asleep, so it should recover it faster."

"So you sure he'll be okay?" 7 asked the question again,

"Ofcourse," he looked certain about it, "we all get a heat at times. Especially 11, and look how good she's doing."

"I agree with 10," 9 looked at his lover, "I'm sure I'll be fine by tomorrow."

7 was glancing at them both and thought about.

"Well," she spoke, "10 is pretty wise when it comes to healing."

The buttoned shirt one did look a bit flattered by that one sentence.

"So," she grasped at 9 hands again in now a calm smile, "I'll just stay with you until you feel better."

The leader was satisfied by this and decided to kiss her back, with the warrior exchanging the kiss back from him. 10 teasingly rolled his eyes.

"I'll just let you guys have a moment alone," he told them and turned his body away, "I'm going to see what 11 and 14 are up to."

By this, he left the room, letting the couples having a loving moment of peace.

 **lllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll**

Few more months has passed since the small sickness incident. 7 yawned as she was strolling past the hallways during the night towards the studying area, which was where 3 and 4 would use to analyze stuff and play around in. It was there that she saw a zippered stitchpunk sitting on a ring box as a chair and a hand-made table, with a dark blue book, stitchpunk sized, on it. It was opened up and 9 was using a thred needle to use it as an ink pen, as he was writing down something on the book. His light staff was leaned against the wall and lit up for him to see.

Curiously walking up to him, she took a closer look at his writings.

"Hey 9," she finally spoke, "I'm going to bed. Are you going to sleep too?"

"Maybe later 7," the leader answered, "I have to do this first."

"But you've been studying about the machine for hours," she sounded a bit irritated by this, "I think that you should-"

She became more curious by the book.

"What are you doing with that?

"I'm using it to record my findings on my study," he answered, "I often have hard time finding the clues that we found around here. So putting them all in this book can atleast save the troubles. I think it'll give us a faster guess as to what we can find more about the machine."

7 took a pause at his work.

"9," she walked close to him enough to place both her hands on each of his shoulder, "I know this means so much to you more than we see it. But you have to take a break. Take a rest with me or take a fresh air outside. You don't have to be doing this all the time."

He sadly sighed and stopped writing.

"You know," he murmured, "I can be doing anything right now other than this, I can sleep right now with you and feel your warmth as I fall into a peaceful slumber. I can go outside and look at the moonlight, reminding myself how there is still beauty left in this lifeless world. I can go around and hear the friendly hellos of all the people that we gave life to, or hear the sweet tone of 11 as she shows all the new dances or hobbies that she made. I can be just talking to you instead of doing this."

He became silent for few moments before raising his head up in sadness.

"But every time I take one step back from these studies," he continued, "just...one look away from it and I start having the thoughts that just one move I do can almost have all of us dead. Just like I did just one move and the next day, five of our friends were dead."

He then turn to her.

"We made such beautiful people in order to continue life...and cover our losses. I will not take more losses again. I know that the nightmares means something's gonna happen," he then turn back to the book, "and it when it comes, we have to be ready. We have to keep them alive, even if it cost our lives."

By the words that escaped his lips, she somehow feels as if she feel the same feelings that he is going through. She can understand how their creations means so much to them, especially working all these years to make them exist. 10's loyalty and protection towards others. 11 sweet happiness and positivity that can cheer anybody up. 15's strength and determination, despite being awoken with blindness. The people all had abilities and personalities that makes them extraordinary. And the warrior, as well, cannot risk herself in thinking what will happen if they get killed by something. She finally sighed.

"Fine," she placed one hand on his shoulder again, lifting his head up a bit, "you can continue your studies. But please promise me you will go to bed afterwards."

He rest his hands on her.

"I promise," he spoke softly.

She blinked before leaning in and kissing his head and releasing, getting lightly drowsy when she left the room. 9 waited for her steps to fade away. Then he continued writing down his studies on the book.

 **lllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll**

7's body awoken out of nowhere in the middle of the night. She let herself try to sleep, but she can never go back to sleep. During this, she remembered last seeing 9 at the study room, realizing that he still hasn't returned yet. So she decided to get out of bed and walk over to the study room. When she was walking towards the opened door, she noticed that the room was still glowing from his light staff, which gave her a bit of anger that he broke his promise, which he never does. She was preparing to shout at him when she was going into the room and see him still studying.

But right as she was opening her mouth by the time she went in, it almost immediately closed when saw the leader's head resting on his wrapped arms against the table. She was glad that nothing was wrong with him, seeing that his breathing with slowly expand his body a bit before relaxing. She took a look at him before looking around the room. Afterwards, she exited the room.

Several minutes later, footsteps can be heard again until it halted. 9's body was then half covered and spread out by the white female's blanket. She then let her hand gently stroke his back, feeling her chest feel warm by the male stitchpunk's peaceful expression from his slumber as she continued watching him make slow and quiet breathings. She emotionally smile and let her face lean close to him.

"Goodnight, my sunshine."

She lightly pressed her lips against his cheek, hearing his breathings quiver a bit as a response before it relaxed again.

With her soft chuckle she never took her eyes off him when she walked near the light staff. She grabbed the lightbulb and twisted it, causing it to stop glowing and leaving the room into darkness.

 **lllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll**

9 still felt tired when he was waking up, but he decided to slowly open his eyes anyways. The room was now lit up again from the rising sun and heard the wind blowing from outside. Making a soft groan from the sudden hotness on his chest, his visioned cleared to first see 7, who was fast asleep while sitting against the wall and her arms slightly wrapping herself. He smiled at the sight of her until he can hear her making a soft sound and seeing her eyes flicker open. She tried shaking off the drowsiness and look up to check on her sleeping soulmate, only to fully awaken from the realization that he was looking back at her.

"Goodmorning 7," he had a tired tone, but was mixed with happiness in seeing her.

"9," the female said while rubbing her head, "I-I didn't expect you to get up."

"Hm," he smirked, "that makes two of us."

7 just gave him suspicious smile for a while.

"So how did you sleep?"

"Pretty well," he said before glancing at the blanket, "couldn't have slept well without putting this on me,"

"I was worried you would get cold," she shrugged.

"Well that's very sweet," he replied as he started to get up from resting on the table and letting the blanket slip off him. While he was doing so, a sudden familiar ache passed his chest, giving the zippered male an uncomfortable expression and hesitate. 7 noticed this and just responded in a tease.

"Hey, what's with that expression on your face?"

He made an exhausted sigh.

"Body still trying to wake up," he muttered and finally got a chance to fully sit up and relax.

"Yeah," she responded, "I think it's from all those studies. Maybe you should freshen it up. Maybe take our groups to the phonogram area and get some fresh air."

"Honestly," he looked at her, "I may still finding studying important, but your probably right. I can't focus when my body is like this. So I think a little music with the group out there sounds like a good idea."

"That's what I wanted to hear," she praised him, "you want me to announce it?"

"Nah, I'll take it from here," he shifted his seating to the other side of it where he can face his light staff. Just as he started getting out of his seat, the sudden ache started to turn into a burning pain, which pressured him enough to take short breathing. He fell shocked by his body's behavior, causing to collapse back on his seat.

7 was now given a slight concern.

"Do you need help?"

"Yeah," he just tried to act normal in order to not see her panic, "it will be nice if you hand me my staff,"

"Sure thing," she got up and went over to get his staff while 9 tried to figure what the sensation was earlier. It was a very short time when the fighter grabbed his staff and walked to him with it.

"Here you go," she handed it to him, with him thanking her before taking it. Pressing it unto the ground, it gave him the strength to pull himself out of the chair.

The pain returned right when he was doing this, only worse the more he kept pulling himself up, causing him rarely breathe and feeling his legs wobble.

"9?" 7 rush to try to catch him, only seeing him use both his hands to grasp on the staff and remain standing . His legs were still shaking during this and he can feel his breathings start to quiver unnaturally.

"9," she began helping him keep balance, "are you ok?"

He didn't speak from his lack of breath, but he gave a very slight nod, making her release him so he can start walking to the exit.

As much as she decided to anxiously watch carefully at him, the walk didn't even take a minute. Each of his steps were becoming very little and he wasn't even further away from the seat. It was finally that another wave of pain and the lack breathing cause his vision to go blurry. His body shook more for a moment before having it half bent the ground and try to catch as much air as he can take.

"9!" She rushed unto him again and try to pull him back to his feet. She tried to make him face her completely worried.

"Sweetie, what's wrong? What's happening to you?!"

He groaned before weakly opening his eyes and placed his shaking hand underneath his hanging zipper, which can be where the pain is coming from.

"It's...ugh...my chest," he then weakly looked at, "it bur-"

The last word was then transformed into a painful groan before finally loosing the strength to stand. 7 immediately caught him right before he started to collapse as she looked at her wounded soulmate in horror.

"Good scientist. U-um here, here!"

She let her body carefully kneel down, letting the leader's body lower unto the ground and have his head laid on her lap.

Seeing the mixture of pain and fear form on his expression as he was squeezing his eyes shut and continuing to tightly clench his chest, all she can do was to gently hush him in order for him to not fall into stress. Just as this was happening, she heard quickening footsteps and looked up to see 11 skip pass by.

But just as she glanced at the room, her joyful expression quickly disappeared and halted just to take few steps back and look at the scene. She looked as if she was trying to process on what she's exactly looking at.

"Umm," she then frowned in slight fear and confusion, "what's going-?"

"11," she spoke out seriously, "I need you to get 10! Get him immediately!"

11 still tried to see if she can process this, fearfully stepping back.

"U-um-"

"NOW!"

She responded in a jump and ran the other way in which she came in from. With 9 hearing this, he croaked,

"Shouldn't have yelled."

He then groaned and clench tightly on his chest again, causing 7 to immediately try holding his other hand, in which he accepted it but grasped it as tight as he can.

7's lips quivered by his condition and couldn't do anything but continue trying to aid him. At this moment, he can feel himself slowly drift away into unconsciousness.

 **lllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll**

"11," 10 told her as he quickly pulled the unconscious patient's zipper down, "go get the stethoscope while I check the temperature of his heart engine."

"On it!" she dipped her head before rushing over to a tube that is connected to a horn and grabbing it. She then went back to the clinic bed and placed the horn part on the upper part of his belly. Her mentor notice this while he was about to touch the chest and moved close to her.

"Here," he moved the stethoscope up to 9's chest, "the chest is always nearby the front side of the neck. Remember that."

"Okay," she said as she place the tube on her invisible ear.

When this was happening, the leader can be heard making a soft painful grunt, as 10 turned to watch him wince for few seconds before relaxing a bit.

"Make sure his soul is still pulsing," he replied while resting his hand on his chest. A second after touching it, he quickly let go in sudden shock. 11 noticed this and tilted her head in confusion.

"Are you okay, 10?"

She noticed that his eyes widened in complete disbelief, almost looking like there was horror in it too.

"His chest is hot," he carefully placed his hand back in his chest, "too hot. It shouldn't even be like this."

"Um, 10?"

"But how is it possible?" He lifted his head in complete confusion, "I cooled it down few months ago."

He fell silent, the dwarf seeing his face go blank.

"Unless..."

He turned to her.

"11," he spoke, "9 tells you about himself too, and I want make sure it's true. How long did it take for him to awaken?"

"Which one?"

"His FIRST awakening. In the first room. How long did it take for him to awaken right after his soul was transferred.

"I think he told me around ten years. Atleast that's what he thinks, since the war ended ten years before he awoke."

She later realized that the healer was now growing pale, with the fabric threads, that resembles his hair, standing up a bit.

"10?"

"I should have known," he murmured and stared at his mentor.

"Should have known what?"

His eyes glance back at the younger one.

"Keep checking his soul pulse," he told her, "I'll be right back."

He was walking out of the room, but immediately stopped and run to a bucket of water, where a wet cloth was within there. He picked it up, squeezed water out, and rushed towards 9's side to place a cloth on his chest, which settled his troubled breathing. She then watched 10 take few steps back, taking one last check him, and finally left the room.

After taking a gaze at the door he exited, she looked back at the unconscious leader and kept stirring the stethoscope around his chest.

She then found the right spot where she can hear a gentle eerie sound that almost sounded as if it was dancing with a breeze, giving the soul pulse a harmony that gave the blue bow female a gentle smile.

Meanwhile, 7 was anxiously twiddling her finger near the door to 10's room, as well as all the groups, who were either sitting and standing around it. They were exchanging murmurs and whispering to one another, waiting for the result of their beloved creator's condition. As for 12, who was not wearing his helmet, was sitting right next to the leader's worried lover, having his sights staring unto the floor and lost in thoughts about this whole situation.

After thirty minutes of waiting, they heard 10 pull open the curtain and turn towards the eldest female.

"7," he called her.

She quickly got up,

"What's wrong with him?"

"You're gonna have to come with me to understand-"

"I DON'T care for proof," she narrowed, "now tell me what's wrong with him!"

"7," 10 begged, "you just have to listen to me."

Growing impatient, she pushed him out of the way, catching him in surprise, and watch her storm into the room. He glanced at crowds staring in silence and decided to halt in order to tell them to remain out there. He then walked back into the room, hearing 7 talking to 11.

"Tell me what's wrong with him!"

By the time he entered his room, he can see the female clenching her hands into a fist, which made the dwarf to look at her in surprise.

He can also see that she was still in the position of checking his soul pulse, but he didn't care about that and was starting to feel worried that she might threaten her.

"7," he paced up to her and grabbed her wrist worriedly, "you have to calm down."

"Calm down," she glared at him and then slightly shoved him while saying, "I WILL calm down if you tell what's going on with my sunshine!"

11 suddenly heard a groan while 7 was panting impatiently and turned to see the patient's expression wincing. The round black eyes then slightly flickered open, seeing nothing but blurriness and pain. The others heard it too, but it took them a while to process if they were just hearing things or not.

"10, look," They decided to slowly turn to him while the female was happily shouting, "he's waking up!"

With his head pounding from the loud voice he tried to shake it off and concentrate on the one right to him, which the first thing he noticed was a pale stitchpunk with a blue bow.

"E...le-"

He groaned again in pain, feeling an ache on his chest, which recalled a memory of him passing out from a terrible chest pain while lying on 7's lap.

When 7 noticed him gaining consciousness, her eyes widened in slight relief.

"9!"

He then heard a familiar voice before hearing fast footsteps and seeing another face that had a white fabric. His sight quickly cleared at this point to look back at his smiling soulmate. He felt his emotion race by the sight of her beautiful face and exhaustingly smile.

"H-hi, 7."

"Alright. Um 11," the female took her face away from the sick leader to look at someone else, "give me some room so I can look at him."

She easily obeyed him and watch her move out of 9's sight, with 10 taking her spot a second later.

"I'm impressed that you woke up earlier," his first creation said, "I thought you would be out for a day."

"An.." He cleared his throat to hide his weak tone, "and how long was I out?"

"Only few hours," he told him while pulling the wet cloth out a bit in order to check the temperature, "7 and I had to carry you all the way here and call 11 in to help me out with the diagnose."

"And what did you find?"

He blinked and took a while to respond while giving a concerned frown He glanced at the healer trainer.

"11, you're done for today."

"Already?" She made a slight frown, "but I wanna keep taking care of 9."

"You will do so later," he said, "but this is a talk that has to be heard by 9 and 7 alone."

She sighed,

"Ok," she easily answered and walked over to her creator to gently wrap her arms around his neck.

"Feel better 9," she told him, causing him to exchange the hug back.

"Thanks sweetie," he slightly patted her back and released her, "just go play with you brother."

She nodded in a slight emotional smile and finally let go him in order to quickly leave the room.

10 waited for her to be completely gone and sadly sigh,

"She would get really worried if she stayed here."

9 grew confused by this, with 7 growing suspicious.

"What are you talking about?"

He walked back near the bed and moved the wet cloth away from his chest.

"Here," he told the female lover, "touch it."

9 felt it was a bit off with the way he's making her do this, but never decided on questioning it. 7 looked down at his chest and cautiously let out her hand to rest on it. She paused at that moment as he watched the warrior's eyes slowly widen.

"9," she fearfully faced the leader, "your chest is burning."

He blinked in slight shock by her response. He looked down at it and placed hand right next to hers, getting off guard that she was right. It's as if the sun cooked it for hours.

"Is it normal to be like this?" She looked back up to him after glancing at him feel it too, which he shook his head as the answer.

"Neither have I," 10 spoke again while analyzing it, "and I have seen 11 and others go through different kinds of heats. But out of all of them, this is the worst heat I ever seen."

"We can just cool it more, right?" She replied.

"It might be possible, but there is a good chance that it will only come back even worse."

"No that's crazy," she narrowed a bit, "the cooling is ALWAYS the key to curing anybody with a heat. How is it not working now?"

"There can only be one reason," he turned to look at 9, "there has been times that 9 recalled to me and 11 about how he awoken. How it took his body ten years to wake up in the first room. If this is true, that means that the complete lack of activity in his body caused parts of the metals within him to rust, which can also include the heart engine."

10 then looked at the chest.

"Because of this, the rust on his heart engine, mixed with the energy he's using on it as time passes, it's making the engine rapidly deteriorate more than what we have as our body ages. With how weak the engine is, it's easily getting overheated. "

He fell silent.

"Meaning?" 7 asked.

"Meaning that if it keeps getting worse like this, it will malfunction and shut itself down."

The whole room fell silent, with the couple having a hard time processing of what he's saying is not exactly what they think he's saying. And that's when 9 finally asked,

"So your saying that my illness is fatal."

"Most likely, yes."

"Wh...what?" 7 burst into a laughter, making it look completely unexpected for the males, "you're...you're joking. Cause that's a really bad joke!"

"But your laughing," 9 pointed out.

"I know," she kept laughing, "it's so bad, it's funny."

9 then narrowed a bit.

"Aw come on sweetie," she nudged him, "where's your humor? You're suppose to laughing. Theres no way such a rookie like him would know that it's a...'fatal illness'."

10 can feel his body grow hot in embarrassment and confusion if his diagnosis was even true, now not even sure if becoming a healer like his deceased father is his purpose.

"And what if he's right?" 9 voice then deepened to a serious tone, giving a bit of an offended look towards her.

7 felt backed off by the sudden reaction of his towards her behavior.

"Ha," she made a broken smirk, "no, he can't be right."

When she turned to 10, she finally grew furious.

"There's just NO way that your telling me that my beloved friend, my only friend that is still alive when none of my old friends did, is now DYING in front of me!"

"S-7," he tried to reason, "please. If my diagnose is correct, I can try to find a cure. I-I promise!"

"Oh how can you try to find a cure when it's OBVIOUS that a healer can know that he can just give him a new heart engine?! Just take out the old one and put in the new!

"That's the problem," he then gave a defeated impression, "he NEEDS the heart engine that he has no matter what! If I remove it, he will immediately die!"

Her anger expression vanish, leaving her with complete disbelief in what she was actually hearing.

9 decided to get up in order to come and calm her down, but this only resulted in his pain collapsing him back on the bed and laying there. He turned and decided just to call her. But right when he opened his mouth, her furious emotion returned, causing her to frustratingly shove 10 away from her. She watched 10, with no regret on her face, let out a short yelp while tumbling back onto his desk and using his whole arm to grasp onto the surface. As soon as he landed, with his legs trembling to keep balance and making quivering pantings, few of his medical objects fell unto the ground and each of them making clanging or thudding noising.

The healer tensed his throat while making soft whimpering and look down at the objects, trying to hold in from easily freaking out like he normally does in situations like this. He then looked up at the angry warrior.

"7," 9 tried to reason again, "that's enough."

"You think you may now know everything about taking 5's place and being as good as he was," she ignored the older male, "but you're not."

She then glared at him more for few seconds.

"And I highly doubt that you would ever be like him."

His eyes kept locking onto her, especially with those hurtful sentence that easily triggered a sudden strong emotion within him that is made out of embarrassment and doubt.

And that was when she knew that her work towards putting stuff into his mind was finished and took one last glance towards her lover. She almost had a warning on her look that was challenging him on whether to trust 10 or side with her.

And she just stormed out of the room, despite the fact that calling her didn't do any good. That's when 9 realized by the time he heard the movement of the door curtain that it was him and his apprentice in the room now. Turning to him, he can tell that 7's last argument literally hit him like a boulder, putting him in a moment of staring down at nothing. Taking a deep sigh, he used the surface of the table to haul himself up in standing straight again and palming his had unto his warm forehead. Watching his hand slowly stroke all the way back to his head, he looked back down at the equipment and started to bent down while slightly shaking his legs.

He then took a pause after doing so and started to pick up the first object, only to freeze after dazing off again, making it look as if he ended up staring at it.

"10?"

He remained silent, causing the leader to get a bit worried.

"10," he kept using a gentle tone, "speak to me."

It took several seconds for him to let his hand slip the object back unto the ground and make another huge sigh.

"Now I'm not even sure what I'm capable of."

9 responded his answer in a frown, knowing that most of his sentence, while struggling through these emotions, are not true. But he didn't want to admit that, since he knew that he would suddenly argue with him. Luckily, he knew a better way in talking him out of these thoughts.

"Here," he patted the clinic bed, "grab a chair and sit next to me."

10 looked at him in a blank confusion, but decided to obey him, as he got up and found a hand-made chair pull it over to where the patient's bed was. He then sat down and waited for him to answer.

But feeling his emotions tense again, he struggled to fight it back and worry on what his mentor was going to say to him. He obviously noticed this and took the younger male's hand and then using both his hands to gently rub it.

"10," he patted it before tracing his eyes back up to his, "when I created you, I knew that you will be capable of something special."

"And how do you know that?" he challenged him with emotional stress, "you don't even know I'm capable of being a healer!

"Probably not," he told him, "but there can possibly be more about you than just a healer. If I can trust you that your diagnosis is correct and that you will find a way to cure me, than will you trust me that that what I'm saying to you is true?"

His lips quivered when he told him that he believes he's telling the truth, but then got another worried thought.

"A-And what if I don't save you in time?"

"I'm certain that you will find something," he place his other hand on his shoulder and rubbed it a bit too, "and if not, than that means my work in this world is finished."

10 sniffles a bit, but gave a slight confident nod before grasping unto his hand back.

"Okay," his voice cracked a bit in determination, "I'll try to see if I can encounter 5 so he can tell me what to do."

"5 is not the only one who will try to save me, " he adds this, along with a smile.

"R...right, right."

10 nodded again in easily noticing who he was referring to and got up, letting his emotions easily swift away, thanks to 9's words.

"I won't let you down," he told him and started packing his stuff for a while before putting his backpack on and leaving the room.

He smiled at his departure. But by the time he left, he was alone, with his smile fading away into concern about his health. He then rolled his body to face the ceiling, letting his thoughts take over his mind. Despite trusting 10 to find a cure, there is still a chance that he won't make it in time. If he dies, there is no one to analyze on what is about to come. And when it comes, who would be there to protect the family?

 **End of episode 4**


	10. Episode 5: A Blind Man pt1

**_Hello readers, this is Chaoartwork39, here to explain my latest update on this fanfiction. I do apologize for the delays of this episode. Part 2 hasn't been finished yet and it will take quite a while to finish it due to complicated writings for this one scene I'm having trouble going through. I'm trying best to see if I can write it through smoothly without it being out of place and i need this scene in order to get into a climax that would lead through a character development for one of the main characters. Also because I'm going through a first experience with college. As for now, please enjoy part 1 of episode 5 until part 2 gets released. Thank you for reading! ;)_**

 **VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV**

19 made a short gasp of fear, with her eyes flying open, and saw that she was laying on her bed. Making fast pantings, she noticed that her room has gotten brighter, meaning that it was already dawn out. Her breathing then started to soften before letting out a sigh and rolled her body up the ceiling.

"Another dumb dream," she whispered tiredly and rubbed her optics. Tracing her hand away from them, she continue to daze off unto the ceiling.

Those nightmares are still going on, which made her continue to worry about the hallucination she had. There could even be a good chance that with the nightmares continuing, she might have the possibility on having another hallucination.

And now she can't count on 10 to aid her, so she's not sure who to turn to. 11 is quite a loyal stitchpunk. But she's not even sure if she would even understand.

 _Dammit 10_ , she rubbed her forehead stressfully and made a soft groan, _where the crap did you go to?_

She then threw her arm back on the bed and sadly blanked out for a moment. she then remembered the book that 11 gave to her the other day and decided that maybe reading her father's book would wash away all her worries on both the nightmares and her friend's disappearance.

She flipped her body over to face her pillow and pull it away to rest her eyes on a dark blue and slightly thin book. Despite it giving her neck aches from resting her head on it during the first two nights, it atleast avoids her mother from snatching it away like she did with the talisman. She then picked it up, put her pillow back in its original position, and completely sat up and look down on the book. She then skipped the history of the machine war, since she already read all of it last night. She then got to the part where she finished the last paragraph of the war, which ended up making her so uncomfortable of the story that she had to call it a night.

Just reading how such a mistake from creatures, that are similar to her species, could have wipe their existence out at a blink of an eye. It gives her a sudden shiver that this might happen her kind too. But trying her best to wash away the information, despite it only being a bit helpful,she continued laying her eyes on the next paragraph below. She realized how 9's writing looked a bit sloppy from the last paragraph of the war to the beginning of the next paragraph, almost as if his hand was quivering when he wrote this.

 ** _You know_** , she began reading, ** _I still remember when 3 and 4 showed me the whole entire video of this story. I never expected that I would learn more about the machine in such a cruel and tragic story. Everytime I think of the video, and the people who perished in each of those photos, it's as if I can feel what they feel at their last moment of their race. Fear, sadness, regret. The scientist made us to renew humanity. I just don't want the same mistake to happen to us sometime in the future._**

 _Funny_ , she chuckled, _it's as if our thoughts of the history were almost the same. Though to be honest, it's not really that surprising._

 ** _Sometimes I even wonder if even destroying the machine was even the right thing to do. Don't get me wrong, that thing is extremely dangerous to roam around this world. But another thought that comes into my head whenever I think of that video is...what if this machine has something deep within its cold thought that we don't know about? What if that's why it's presence still haunts me in my sleep?_**

Her eyes raised a bit, thinking that her father was probably overthinking when writing these things. Something still felt as if she had to keep reading.

 ** _Surely it wanted all life to end. But why? It can't be just because it's mind got corrupted. There has to be something else to it. It's just impossible to answer why it rather suck the souls out of my friends, who perished, instead of squashing them or ripping them apart. 7 thinks I might be pondering too much about-_**

"Hey 19!" A high pitched voice caused the white burlap to violently flinch in quivering gasp and try hiding the book, despite it being too late to do so. She quickly turned at the one who quickly came into her room and recognized a female dwarf stitchpunk.

"Oh," her smile disappeared, "sorry. Did I scare you?"

"Looks like it," she tried to soften her panting and placed her hand on her chest, deciding to stop hiding the book in the process, since 11 was the one who gave it her.

"Heh heh," she innocently smile in guilt while stroking the top of head where her bow bent for a moment and got released, "yeah, my bad."

The braided stitchpunk finally felt her panic wash away and sighed.

"So why are you up so early?"

"I can ask you the same thing."

But she pondered a bit,

"Though it's not really that important to talk about right now."

 _Good_ , she gave a slight uncomfortable expression, _I rather not_.

"Any who," she faced her again, "I was wondering that we can maybe hang out today nearby the burnt cathedral."

"Wait," her eyebrow raised and pointed out, "are you talking about that former home base right nearby the library?"

"Yes!" She nodded postively, "wouldn't that be fun?!"

"Fun?" She looked more confused, "I thought we were planning on continuing searching for 10."

"Well, that would be pretty lucky for us if we find him there. But I talked to 7 last night and she agreed that she will do battle training with you over there! I can finally see you battle without my brother being too protective with me!"

19 froze.

"E...Leven," she said, "I really like the invitation. But my mom and I? Well...let's say we haven't gotten along well in quite a while. Beside, I don't think she would allowed me to train outside just like that."

"She actually did think about it," the dwarf replied, "and she guessed that since you just turned two, it should be time to already take the training to the next level. Besides, the world is becoming a little more dangerous than usual, so she wants you prepared before any ambush happens in the base. And if you guys DO have hard time getting along, I can just talk you two out of it."

"Hmph," she cracked a smile, "I don't think anybody would want to refuse on listening to such a sweet girl like you-" it then disappeared for a second, "-except for 12. And it will be the three of us?"

"You-" 11 pointed at 19, "me-" she pointed at herself, "and 7!"

"Alright," the leader's daughter finally answered, "I guess I can go."

"YAAYY!" The smaller one celebrated skipping around the room and having a moment of dance.

"So what will be a good time to set out?"

"Right when the sun is fully up," she turned back to her happily. "I'm going to go ahead and tell 7 this," she then quickly skipped out of her room while humming cheerfully. It caught her in curiosity in how she just left so suddenly after her answer. But she decided to rub the back of her head in a little smile.

 _that girl always seems to have a way in having a good odd-looking personality._

 **IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII**

12 can feel himself waking up as he began to stretch his tired body in order to wake itself up. Yawning a bit, he slightly opened his eyes. Right when he did so, the first thing he saw was his sister's face very close to his and smiling.

"GEEZ!" His eyes flew open in shock and rapidly sat up, seeing how 11 bent her head playfully to get really close to her once sleeping brother.

"Goodmorning, 12!" She sang happily to him.

"LEVEN," he shouted angrily, "WHAT THE F-!"

"Did you sleep well?" She then rubbed both his cheek and later press his cheek into hers, "cause I woke up like it was my first awakening!"

But 12 growled in annoyance and pulled her away.

"It would have been for me too if you didn't put your CREEPY doll face right close to me!"

"Creepy?" She paused for a moment before letting out a tease, "12, you know I always have to look joyful and cute to give everybody a smile everyday. Especially for my best twin in WHOOOOLE wide world!"

After her last giggles, she noticed the other dwarf was starting to soften his pantings and had a dramatic changed expression of unamusement. She still tried to smile for him, despite seeing him this, before he sighed.

"Right?"

He remained quiet for just one moment.

"You're planning something on me. You're always hyper like this in the morning when you are thinking on forcing me to do something. Or..."

His eyes widened a bit.

"Is 10...?"

"No," 11 quickly saddened a bit and lost eye contact with him for a moment, "he hasn't returned or been found yet."

"Oh," he returned to his unamused expression.

"But," she lit up again, "I now that there is a VERY special place that'll cheer both of us up from yesterday. Let's say you always want to take a look at that burnt cathedral that you've been curious about since first sight."

12's eyebrow raised,

"The burnt cathedral?"

She quickly nodded.

"Just the both of us?"

"That's right!" She sang playfully again.

That was when his suspicions completely vanished in just a blank look.

"Oh...o-okay. Um," he stroke his head back, "wow."

"That's funny," she chuckle by this notice, "I don't think you ever responded like this before."

"Pfft," he looked back at her, "No dance contest? No scouting with 17 and 14? No scavenging for a non-threatening beast? I didn't expect this to be less threatening than I thought."

"I had a feeling you would like this one. Soooo," she bent close to him, "would you come?"

He pondered a bit while taking a quick look at his surroundings.

"Eh," he laid back down on his bed, "it's atleast better to look at some remains there that are useless to look at than being trapped in this dump."

11 eyes widened and then clasped her hands together, quivering from her hidden squeals.

"But promise that you won't wake me up like that ag-AH!"

She grabbed him out of bed just to wrap him tightly around her arms, letting her cheek once again squeeze his, which caught him in having a moment of awkwardness with her.

"12," she murmured, "don't you know how much I love you?"

The male grunted,

"don't you know how short my life is gonna be if you keep squeezing me like this?"

She let go of 12, without warning, causing him to collapse back on their bed.

"I'm sure you'll do fine. I'm gonna go ahead and inform 7 about this. Be right back!"

She started leaving, making him catch attention again after his fall.

"W-wait," he called out, "you're leaving me already? After you woke me up like that?!"

"I promise I'll be right back," she replied when she completely left the room and heard her footsteps die away.

As soon as she was gone, he grew slightly annoyed again and cover his entire body with a blanket.

 _that girl always seems to have a way in having a crazy and annoying personality_.

 **IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII**

 ** _A Blind Man_**

 **IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII**

Just as 11 told her, she entered the entrance room as soon as the sun was completely up. She noticed how few of the group would go about their usual daily routines, often giving glances towards the female burlap before continuing. She can pretty much tell why she gets these kind of reactions from them, even if they are often understanding and would never want to hurt her feelings. But having to live with it throughout her entire life, all she did was try to get use to it, which pretty much works. She was already carrying her bag to go out as she decided to sit right near the exit so she can take a good view at the Emptiness.

Just like always, the ground was always wet from this world's everyday rain, with atleast smaller puddles surrounding about. She then started to notice how a tiny sprout of plants were now starting to grow out of the cracks of the road. It won't be long until they start invading the whole entire library.

"Hm," she smirked teasingly before raising her head up to sky, in which people believe there are spirits living somewhere up there, "you guys really have quite the obsession with making everything green, huh? Pretty soon the only color our species knows would be that."

"Who are you talking to?"

She was a bit startled by a sudden voice and turned behind her to see the female leader walking towards her.

"Oh," she was a bit surprised to see her come earlier than she thought, "hi 7."

But she then noticed that when she came close, she had a strange expression. Yet she wasn't sure if it was suppose to be a concern.

"Is there somebody here?" Her tone now sounded almost a bit of a desperation.

"No sorry," she chuckled in embarrassment, "I was pretty much pretending that I was talking to the afterlife souls."

She calmed herself and then sighed while rolling her eyes a bit.

"Yeah," she muttered, "don't we all?"

With how off 7 often behaves, 19 just decide to let it pass as she watched her walk all the way next to her.

"You don't mind if I sit with you while we wait?"

19 honestly felt worried about this. She wasn't sure that in just few minutes, they might get into another argument. She already wants to have a break of acting like a rebellious brat in front of her, just for one day.

"Oh, u-um sure," she scooted a bit, despite her having tons of space, "go ahead."

Thanking her, she sat down right next to her. And just after doing so, she still tries to avoid looking at the youngest.

On the bright side, atleast that's a low chance that she can avoid chatting with her. She chilled her worry a bit as the silence lasted for few minutes.

 _As long as it's like this, it will be enough for 11 to come over and this awkwardness will be all over._

"So," the eldest suddenly spoke, "I think it's really nice that 11 invited us to hang out. I think it's the healthiest she can do for us when we have been having this endless events, don't you think?"

Just her luck.

"Actually," she remained natural, but still felt unsettled, "I'm just surprised you accepted her in taking me out there."

"Yeah," the leader murmured, "it...was usually something that I have been thinking about. You've gotten smarter and stronger over the those two years. I still feel as if you're not ready yet, but..."

19's worry soften, noticing how 7 was once again lost in her thought. It was something that she didn't know about, but she did knew that it would have to do something that relates to 9. She just wish she had the chance from understanding her. If only 7 wasn't being so harsh on her.

She decided to talk her thoughts to her, but also to remind herself on going steady.

"Listen," she spoke, "I know you must feel very bothered by everything. But you can't just force me into something like that, I'm not a newborn anymore."

"I know," she sighs, "I just..."

She fell silent again, looking so confused about her thoughts while staring endlessly at the ground.

As much as she felt pity for her, she shouldn't make it as if she's the most sufferable one in the group. Sure, she lost her friends and her mate, but it shouldn't be like this after it has been already two years. She's certain that there must be others in here that must be facing something in their life. Especially her...well, sometimes. She would most likely let her thoughts out when 10 was the only one in a room.

He was the one who understood the most of what her problem is, especially the mysterious illness she's going through. Now he is nowhere to be found and she has no one to look up to now. She can tell 11, but who knows if she can keep a secret like this. And if she told 7, she would think that it's complete nonsense.

 _She's your mother_ , a second thought suddenly came to her, _you've notice how protective she is with you. Atleast try?_

Her chest build up with worry and glanced at her still dazed off. But what if telling her cause another fight? But all the second thought would say is "try". And even thinking about it, it's true.

Everything has been going wild around for the past week. After a year of endless nightmares, she was now added with hallucinations and who knows if it might get worse. Now her best friend is gone and one of the dwarf twins is being strangely suspicious. it's been cramping up on her thoughts already that she might start having her sanity drained. And her mother is one of the only people she can count on telling.

Like her second thought said, she has to try. She forcefully gulped down all the fears within and finally turned back to her mother, who was already slightly turning to her as well.

"Mom, there's something that I have to-"

"Sweetie, there's something I have to-"

It took them a second to notice they were talking at the same time, causing them to hesitate.

"Sorry," 19 said, "you can go ahead-"

"No," 7 spoke back, "I'm fine with you going first. I feel you're mostly the one who needs to talk."

The youngest paused in a look and took a deep breath.

"Ok," she sighed and began twiddling her fingers, "I'm trying to think on how to start this...u-um. Well, you probably know that I have been going through 10's disappearance and..."

She bit her lips with her metallic skeleton underneath her burlap, not wanting 7 to get confused and taken back if she tells her about 12's behavior.

"I know," 7 tilted her head in a slight frown, "it has been obvious."

"Ofcourse," she slightly smile in embarass until remembering what her confession was gonna be quickly vanished it.

"But," she continued, "that's not exactly what I want to talk about.

"It's actually more important to talk about something else."

"Really?" Her eyebrow raised in slight concern, "but you rarely look like you hide anything."

 _That's because you always turn your face away like I'm a complete stranger_ , her eyes slightly narrowed.

"Yeah," she remained her anger still, "well it's because the situation is just unexplainable. You see, I've been going thr-

"Got your backpack?"

"Yes."

"Got your knife?"

"Yes."

After a pause, they both looked behind them to see the two dwarfs entering the entrance room with 11 continuing to ask him multiple question.

"Got your helmet?"

"Leven," he turned to her, "I'm always wearing my helmet."

"Doh, I know," she teased, "I'm just REALLY excited for us to go out after such a long time!"

19's curious expression while listening to it quickly turned completely blank, with 7 now a bit shocked but confused on what's going on. She took a glance at her daughter, noticing her dramatic change of her expression.

"Well don't get your hopes to high," he replied and continued walking to the entrance, "were probably going to see nothing over there. So if anything, I can take some good fight...trai..."

His sentence slowed to a stop when he noticed 19's expression too and made both him and 11 take a complete halt.

The room was quiet for few seconds.

"Um," 12 spoke again in confusion, "why are you looking at us like that?"

"Eh..12," 7 spoke up, "I think we need an answer to our question too. And it might come from your sister."

"My sister?" His confusions grew more and slowly turned to 11, in which she blankly looked to see 7 and 19 turn their face to hers to.

"Leven," 12 asked her, "do you know what they're trying to explain?"

11 worriedly looked at each of them, trying to find the right answer to say.

"U...ugh, oh," she let out a nervous smile, "oh my! Silly 11, I must been so excited that I forgot that I invited you to hang out with already. Yet, I also wanted to hang out with 19 and 7 too. So I don't want to upset both of you. Hmm," she pretended to ponder, "let see. I know! How about I take both of you with me?"

12 gave her a slight glare.

"Say what now?"

"Hold on," 7 thought about it for a moment, "11's right. It'll be nice to see how strong 19 is with both me and 12.

She then turned to 12.

"Also, you can hang out with your sister instead of having to be alone."

"What?" 19 was in disbelief by 7's quick decision of this, but was interrupted by her mother's hand resting on her shoulder.

"Well," she tried to give a warm look at her daughter and then at the male fighter, "what do you both say we have some fun out there?"

19 was really uncomfortable by adding 12 to come along. After what happened with them last night, she promised herself that she wouldn't want to get involved with his strange behaviors again. Besides, how would 7 react to her thoughts in a moment that she approves to hang out with him in order to get along? She turned to 12, who also turned to face her at the same time with a blank response on his expression.

She can tell just by this that he had no idea how to answer this too. But after a while of looking at her, he decided to make an emotional smile.

"Sure," he faced 11, "I-I mean, as long as you're with me, there's no problem with having a group outing."

11 made a huge exciting smile, resulting in a soft, but quick, applaud. 19 was just surprised on his unexpected answer.

"Well sweetie," 7 turned to her, "what do you think?"

Now 19 wasn't sure what exactly to say. It was either that he really did have a change of thought about his attitudes or he's forcing himself into this. Even so, she didn't want to upset 11 or get into another fight with 7.

"I think it sounds like fun," she answered too, "I haven't really talked to the twins yet in years. So it would be nice to finally get to know them."

"Good," 7 turned to 11, "see? Problem solved. We are going to hang around the burnt cathedral without any trouble."

"Oh yaaaay!" She cheered and tightly squeezed 12, "thank you, thank you!"

She then rushed to the younger female burlap and gave her a tight hug too.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

19 gave a smile of pleasure for pleasing her new friend before gently pulling her away.

"Now go on," 7 shoved 12 to the entrance, giving him a glance of suspicion before shaking it off and walking out of the library, "we can't get there too late."

She then escorted 19 out of the building before letting her off,

"Otherwise, the sun will go down earlier for us."

She curiously glance at her, but deciding to pace up to 12. Who knows? Maybe she can talk to him normally like the argument never happen. But as soon as she walked right next to him, he quickly noticed and gave her a slight glare. It didn't take him more than a second to pull his sight away and pace farther away from her. Feeling a bit taken back by this, she later responded back by giving a look of exhausted irritation towards the small male.

 _Good scientist is it going to be a long day._

Meanwhile, 7 decided to be behind 11 when she stopped pass the entrance, taking a breath of triumph of this plan. She continued to catch up to the two when she suddenly felt one of her wrist being grab, halting her in the process. Confused, she looked up to 7, who was staring out at 12 and 19 walking.

"I know that you are hiding something," the dwarfs mouth slightly opened in shock by the female leader's voice, "and I know that you are try to do something with this hang out. I'm not dumb. I can read almost everything that my people might be thinking."

11 froze before frowning in worry on what she will do to her.

"However," she continued, "I'll let this pass during the day. But as soon as this is over, you are going to tell me what exactly is going on. Understand?"

She look down at the nervous and guilty pale female, notice that her mouth slightly quivered for few second.

"Y...yes,7."

7 gave a moment of look, with an exchanging expression of a serious approval, before covering her face with the bird skull helmet.

"Let's go," she said and followed up to the duos. 11 watch them with a frown of stress and let out a sigh. Then she went off to follow the group too.


	11. Episode 5: A Blind Man pt2

**Okay, just a fair warning to anybody who can't stand reading a very long chapter out there IS going to have a pain reading. This especially for the this scene being extremely long as heck. So I guess the advice I can give you in bookmarking this is to probably stop reading when you start seeing cap locked letters...you'll see it as you read it along. I apologize, I didn't think it was going to end up like this, but still stick with this fanfiction. There's an important build up towards a character development coming up.**

 **IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII**

The sun only made a slight move in the sky by the time they crossed the connected path that lead to the burnt cathedral. They approached it's opened gate that still stood, but was still rusting up. The white burlap looked upon the huge pile that once stood a huge building. She may not know what it looked like, but 7 one time showed her a painting of it when she was a newborn. And she wants to say that she could of love to atleast settle in there for just a day if it still stood.

 _Dumb bird..._

She kept continuing following 12, who was still in the lead, closer to the collapsed home base. And few seconds later, she was suddenly halted by a dizziness racing through her head. She tried to press her hand unto her forehead and rub. But the dizziness grew worse enough to close her eyes shut and decide to use both her hands to massage her head. She basically thought she might pass out at any seconds.

But as soon as her dizziness quickly stopped out of nowhere, all she felt was the temperature feeling slightly cooler for daytime, except a toasted warmth touching the front of her body. She exhaustedly opened her eyes to notice that everything was dark when looking at the ground, except for a strange orange light. There also seemed to be black burning flakes gently raining down until it transforms completely into ashes once it reaches the ground.

Others just get picked up by the air again right before it touches it. Confused on what is happening, she carefully turned her head up to see what she was facing and squinted for a moment on where the bright orange light was coming from. The bright light ended up being a huge fire, eating up a huge building where the collapsed pile once stood. Her eyes widened in shock and took few steps back. It was the cathedral. Burning and will soon end up having collapsed remains that she always thought of it as.

 _No_ , her thought whispered, _I couldn't have..._

Who knows if she must be dreaming. Maybe she did pass out and she is dreaming of this. Or maybe this is another hallucination. She can just hope she didn't really go back in time. Otherwise, she isn't exactly sure where to go or if there is anyone out there who can help her.

She was interrupted by another falling burning ash, somehow catching her distraction, as she let out her hands and watch it gently land on them. She would be honest, but the ash looks very pretty with its flaming glow around it.

But as soon as she remained gazing at it, she watched it cool off before turning into ash as well and let the wind blow it off her hands. In slight curiosity, she watched it get blown towards the burning site until she realized that there were several figures walking towards her. What she did notice stange about them was that there were two people that were leading the group. There seemed to be a thicker person wrapping its arm around the other person, who seemed to be limping as they were walking together. Almost as if it was wounded. But it was too dark to make out all the details. She wasn't sure who they were, but they might help her.

"E..e-xcuse me?"

The group don't seem to be reacting.  
"Excuse me! Can you please me?" she tried taking few steps closer to them, "Please, I need help! I-I think I may be-!"  
"19?"  
she finally heard a response from one of the group, even though they still looked as if they didn't notice. All except for this one silhouetted stitchpunk, who seem to have parts sticking out of its head and a huge item hanging around its neck. It also seems to look familiar too, almost as if she met it not long ago. It halted, causing the other stitchpunk, who was walking right next to the weird headed one, to stop as well. But it stared upon its companion instead of the braided stitchpunk in the distance.  
"19! 19!"  
It began racing towards her when it happily called her name again, causing all the group to slow their pacing and stare as well.  
"19...19!"  
Another voice chirped in, which sounded like 7. But she was nowhere to be around. Somehow, her head was beginning to ache.  
"19!19!19!19!19!"

With the echoing endless calls of her name surrounding her, she had to press her one of her hands against her head again, just by how much her head was beginning to throb in pain. She began growing scared that she might be losing herself.  
"19!"  
It was finally that 19 broke out a grunt of pain, with the feeling that something was tightening within head. It was also the same time when a sudden hand grasped one of her shoulders. She was hoping squeezing her eyes shut would wash it away, but obviously just made her feel like passing out again. Kneeling unto the ground, she began grabbing her head again as she kept on making softer grunting sounds.  
"19...19!"  
 _Stop_ , her thought rolled in from her mother's loud voice, _it hurts.  
_ "19, are you okay?" she heard another voice and felt another hand, only this time in a comforting contact. As soon as she was feeling calm by the sweet gentle voice of a worried female dwarf, she can feel the warmth of the sun return, as well as the light. In exhaustion, she opened her eyes to see two faces. Both of them were 7 and 11 giving a worried look. Behind them, possibly several feet away, 12 was looking back with a blank expression. She couldn't really read if he was actually concerned or confused by her condition.

As embarrassed and uneasy she feels at being stared like this, she was also relieved that she was back to her real world. It was probably one of the worst hallucination she ever experienced. If only 10 would have told her that hallucinations can hurt her head too.  
"Sweetie," 7 stroke her cheek, "are you okay? you look like youre in bad shape."  
She didn't want to tell anybody her condition though. As much as she is scared about it, she just have to keep holding it in and just hope that it passes. It'll ruin the hang out and immediately be sent back to the home base. Not after finally getting her mother's acceptance to go out into the Emptiness, in which took years to get.  
"Sorry," she rubbed her head, "just need to get some shade. I might be just having a heatstroke."  
"But it's chilly out here," the mother looked at her confused, "are you sure youre not catching a heat?"  
"I think you're Ruby," 11 wondered, "but I think she might be experiencing a tiny heat. Though she may need to stay out of the shade where its slightly warm...and not battle train for today."

"Yeah," the white burlap said, "just as long as we stay out here, I'm fine with that."  
"Excuse me Leven," 7 looked uncertain, "Are you sure about this? I know you've been training with 10, but it's too chilly for her."  
"Pfft," 12 grew annoyed, "come on Eleven, how many times have you witnessed a small pale girl get sick for a thousand times?"  
7 broke her sight on 11, just to glare at her brother. But he ignored her and continued telling his twin,  
"I'm saying that if she can survive these heats, then 19 can too. If anything, she can just watch the battle training. Now let's stop babying around a slight headache and get this started."

For that, he stormed off to near the edge of the ruin in order to put down his backpack and grab out the long sticks, which were always sticking out during the small scout over here. She remained hiding her irritation over him while the female warrior let out a stressed sigh and turned back to 11.  
"Just please place take her somewhere where she can relax. If she starts feeling worse, stop our battle training and we'll immediately take her back home."  
 _Oh scientist_ , 19's thought muttered, _please no._  
"Sure thing 7," she said and helped 19 up.  
"Come on," the healer trainer told her, "I know just a _great_ spot for you!"  
She felt her wrist then get grabbed by her hand before moving to a boulder that had few shades. Letting her settle down, she began placing her hand on her forehead and then her chest.  
"Hm," she grew curious, "you don't feel as if you have a heat."

"Can 19 see from here?" 7 caught one of the sticks that 12 threw at her when asking this.  
"Yeah," the daughter replied, "I can see."  
"Good," she said, "because you need as much learning as you can get. The world is becoming more dangerous than it was when you awoke."  
"I hope its because of that dead spider beast that fell into the home base few days ago," He muttered to himself, despite knowing others can obviously hear him.  
"It doesn't matter," 7 turned to him, "now let's not get distracted. We must begin before the sun starts setting. Do you still remember your moves?"  
12 glared at her, gripping unto his stick.  
"Fine. Nevermind that question," she gave a sigh and began taking her position and pull down her helmet, "let us begin."  
Relieving himself, he began taking positions too, ready for whatever move she'll make. she tested him by remaining frozing in order to let him lock his concentration unto the opponent.

"Oh by the way," 11 whispered to her, "not all of 12's fighting moves are exactly the ones he made up. He mostly copied them from 7."  
"Really? I thought he doesn't talk to her."  
"Well," she replied, "he doesn't. It's a bit complicated, but lets say he spies on her."  
She got confused and uncomfortable by that statement.  
"he does what?"  
Right after she asked this, 7 began charging after him, making herself halfway toward the dwarf before using the stick to leap herself off the ground. she still held on to the stick though and aimed it to whack down 12. Ofcourse, he already planned his next move by leaping out of her target and making a somersault. But when 7 missed, she thought fast and and quickly turn to swing her stick unto him. He immediately turned to see it and jumped right over it, whacking her in the head.

He remained hesitant to make sure that the elder leader was gaining recovery.  
"wow," 19 spoke in shock, "he's fast. Not only his small size, but great reactions."  
"I know, right?" 11 responded, "He's like some sort of a ninja."  
"What's a ninja?"  
"Long information, but 13 explained how they were some humans who would wear these weird masks with a simple tied belt while doing quick and flexible moves. I think that's where 12 made some of his moves from. He might know more about it than I do, since he can be a bit of a bookworm."  
"I don't think I ever seen him read a book,"  
"Oh yeah, he just doesn't like showing it much in public. Just when he's hiding in our room and he literally doesn't have anything to do, mostly when I'm out with others."  
"Huh," the white burlap was honestly impressed, but a bit cautious on his hidden interest, "that will make him smarter than I thought."  
"Teehee," they watched as 7 recovered and focus on 12 again, "he is still sometimes my grumpy dummy."  
Right before 7 started to charge at him, he took a quick glimpse at 19 and had a look as if something was tracing through his mind. The youngest female didn't even get the chance to wonder what it was since he turned back to his training and leapt onto her bow, making her unable to to move when it was pinned down to the ground.

He had the chance to swing his stick on her head again, but 7 got to react by grasping her hand unto the male stitchpunk's stick, giving a glare of pride. In slight frustration, he had no other choice but to make a small leap in order to kick her unto the stomach making her fall into the ground. By the look on her face while recovering, 19 can somewhat read her mind that she might be a bit impressed with him or that she was a bit defeated that her aging body must have changed her strength, but there was still hope that she was not done with him yet. Continuing training, 19 decided to let the thought of the male dwarf taking a quick glimpse at her slide when she wanted to ask another question to his sister.  
"Are you sure you're not gonna do this too?"  
"bleh," she was slightly disgusted, "not really. 10 and 12 won't let me. I've been weak multiple times and have often stress my body over almost anything. So it's why I don't often go out or do any task that requires strength. I don't know why it's like that, but it's a strange condition I've been experiencing since I was a newborn."  
Ouch. Now she should have thought about the question before saying it. It was a bit obvious since she looks to be overprotected by many when she does something risky.  
"I...I'm sorry. I didn't mean to ask that. I was just-"  
"Oh don't be such a pity person 19," she let out positive smile, "I don't really care about it all! Besides, if I DID have the ability to fight, I can't do it anyways. I can't harm anything."  
"Oh," she remember that obvious strange behavior she would often have towards the beasts, "I almost forgot that fact."

11 lightly giggled,  
"You're as silly willy as 12."  
"Um thanks? Don't know if that's a compliment, but okay?"  
She made another slight laughter and turned back to the training. By the look of it, it seems 7 is starting to be difficult for 12, but she notice that he is still concentrating, despite getting breathless by her continuance fast paces. That's when 11 made an uncomfortable frown.  
"How long are they gonna be fighting like this? It feels like several minutes."  
"I think 7 is just continuing it just so I can learn faster."  
"I'm impressed. You don't...well. How do I say this?"  
"Well, you don't look like the type that wants to hurt people's-"  
"OFCOURSE NOT!" She blurted it out, to 19's surprise, and took few moments to snap out of that worrisome false fact.  
"Excuse me," she said in slight embarrassment, "Anyways, forget my useless last sentence. It's not important. I shouldn't get distracted in telling you that I just hope the battle doesn't last the whole day. I REALLY want to scavenge some remains with 12. It's why he wanted to come here, right?"

"I thought he doesn't like scavenging," she pointed out.  
"Yeah but...he always wanted to come here. But he never explains why he wants to come here. He just awkwardly does. So we planned some time ago that if we ever finally go there, we can do one of _my_ favorite activity, which is scavenging this place. But we never had till now."  
"But you guys rarely do anything in the library. So why wait around a decade to do it?"  
11 remained silent while staring off at the training. Then her eyes widen,  
"I got it," 19 looked confuse when she made a huge smile and stood up, "I got it! Why not instead of him finding a remain, I can look for it for him? That way, he can always keep it as a souvenir and find this time here memorable!"  
"err..." She was a bit uncertain on what she was exactly saying. Is she actually that serious on scavenging alone?  
"19," she turned to her, "stay here. If you don't feel well again, call out for me. I wont be far."  
And for that, she wandered off towards the collapsed building.  
"Leven, wait!" She called out her nickname for the first time, but she seemed to ignore her, letting her positivity keep controlling her. 19 sighed in defeat.  
 _Oh well_ , she thought, _she said she wont be far. if anything happens, I can fetch after her. Just continue paying attention to the battle.  
_  
She obeyed her mind and saw how 12 was already loosing his strength. She couldn't help but have an inner laugh. There was just something about how exhausted he looked that makes him deserve it. Glaring up at 7, who was trying to pin him down to ground, he kicked her stomach again, which made her loose her grip on him. He got a chance to roll away from her. He got up, his legs shaking, in almost two seconds to face his opponent, but notice that she already gain recovery already and began swinging his stick towards him. He jumped again, but high enough to miss the hit and instead get hit on the feet to make his body fall face flat on the ground, as well as dropping his stick. He didn't even get a chance to respond and felt 7 pin him down. She used her stick press it against his neck and hoist his head up close to her.

She leaned her head closer to him and made a soft smirk while 12 grunted in frustration.  
"great speed," she spoke softly to him, "great strength, defense, attitude. The stamina is just the only thing you should focus on."  
She slipped her stick away from his neck, responding on him making few coughs and turning behind to face the leader.  
"The best thing to do is to not push yourself too hard. You never know how long fighting any beasts shall last. At this moment, you would already be dead."  
It took him a minute to see his eyebrow narrow in disbelief, panting harsher than before.  
"We'll continue our training as soon as you recover. Than we'll see how we can work up your stamina."

She turned away and began walking away from him and towards her daughter. She exchanged a normal greeting to 19 while 12 was slowly and angrily getting up, making the white burlap exchange a small smile. It was possibly the first time that she actually saw 7 greet her like this, which makes it such a huge relief to her. Possibly since defeating 12 brought her in a good mood.  
"heh, you seem happy."  
"it's been a while since I fought like this," she rest her stick on her shoulder, "it makes me feel young again. Its not much of a show here, but I hope this educated you-"  
19 was interrupted during her talking to see 12 targeting his eyes towards 7 and muttering something. He gripped the stick tightly.

Her eyes widened in realization and immediately got up.  
"Darling-?"  
"I'LL SHOW YOU!" He started charging her when he started saying this.  
Meanwhile, 11 was climbing halfway on the debris when she heard 12 screaming and quickly turned to the sudden situation. She made a short gasp and was gonna fully stand to call out only for a wood to break and fall into the debris.

12 swang his stick furiously onto 7 by the time he got close to her. That is, until 7's hand unexpectedly grab unto the stick, immediately stopping his swing. Or atleast, he thought 7 was the one who stopped it until he noticed another white stitchpunk was blocking the older one. That was when 12's eyes widened when he identified the person's face. The elderly one quickly turned and had her eyes widen in surprise to see her daughter standing right behind her, glaring down upon the dwarf male. She muttered a name, and it was definitely not the Scientist. But she rather pretend she didn't hear what name she mentioned and continue focusing on 12. 12 narrowed in defeat.

"Go ahead," he growled, "hit me, torture me to death, or kill me instantly. Do whatever you deeply desire to do to me."

19 remained silent. She was surprise 7 just remained frozen behind her, which is weird since she always try to stop situations. Was she testing her now that she realized what was going on between them? If so, why?

"What are you waiting for?" He replied in impatience, with almost a sound of a forcing desperation, "do it!"

19 squinted more.

"I SAID DO IT! DO IT NOW!"

Just like that 19, yanked the stick away from his hands, preparing himself for a harsh impact on his punishment, since she almost look like she was going to hit him with it. Instead, he heard a small thump on the floor. He forced himself to slowly face the stick again, which was stomped on to ground. But 19 was still holding it tightly, remain glaring at him with a new addition of confusion.

"Really," she murmured angrily, "just really. Why do you still think I would do something like that?!"

12 grew a bit shocked by this, but still remained serious.

"DO YOU THINK I SHOW NO MERCY TO ANYONE?!"

7 decided that it was enough and walked over to her daughter.

"19."

"Oh OFCOURSE you give mercy to anyone," 11 was beginning to crawl out of the debris hole with a broken burnt remain that had a small rusty bell hanging onto it and look up to see the arguing duos, "but not for me!"

"12 look!" 11 called out with an echo as she wave the remain happily so he can see, "I found a souvenir!"

"Shut up Leven," he retorted angrily, "were repeating history here!"

19 was now completely confused.

"Repeating...what?"

"12," 7 gave a glare of warning, "don't say it."

But 12 ignored her with only a glance as a response.

"Shouldn't you know it already?" He turned back to her. "You're suppose to hate me."

19 paused.

"I have to-" she got choked up by her thought, and had to squeeze her eyes shut and facepalm in stress. She tried to think of the right answer to say, but what he just said was just to insanely confusing. She knew deep her mind that there was something she really feels on what to say. So she had no choice but to spill out whatever will come out of her lips.

"W-WHY THE HELL WOULD YOU WANT ME TO DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT! I MEAN REALLY, WHAT CRAP IS GOING ON IN YOUR HEAD!"

"Hm," 11 have already climb down the debris while her brother was saying this and was still carrying her souvenir when she stood right next to 7 to join the witness, "that's funny. I hope you're not pretending to like me or anything sappy like that, cause it's not working. I'm sure you didn't harm me because your mother is right nearby."

"That might be true," she argued back, "but that is not the important reason. You may be extremely rude and irritating, but your still part of the group!"

"Yeah right, you're just lying."

"She's not lying," 7 spoke up, "when has she ever lied to us?"

12 fell silent, causing his glare to soften a bit. 19 did felt uncomfortable with that fact, since she did lie about her condition from earlier.

"I don't know what is going on with you two, but it's not the first time I've seen it. And when I first saw it, they were more controlling than what you are doing. Look, how about we talk this through so we can sort this situation out and continue our time here?"

12 was still silent and...

The youngest suddenly picked up something and looked closely at him.

Is he...trembling?

She thought that she might be overthinking it, but she's not. He was biting his lip while trying to remain serious, despite his shivering. His hand formed into a tight fist. Now she knew something was definetley wrong with him and this time, it was not in a horrible side. Something seems to be bothering him, and she somehow sense the fear within him.

"12," the small one heard her speak in this time a soft, but remained serious, "you have to tell us what's wrong."

"Oh crap this!" He quickly snapped back again, "why did I even come here? I should have never come here."

"Oh come on 12," 11 politely walked up to him in slight smile, "don't be such a silly will-!"

"Don't call me that," 12 pointed, "you're the reason were in this situation!"

"She didn't mean for this to happen," 7 narrowed, "you're the reason why you started this."

"You knew that we weren't getting along since last night," he ignored the leader, "and yet, you STILL make us go together! I tried to make the hangout as best I can for YOU! Always have to do something for you just to make you happy. Well let me just say this sister, it's NOT happening this time.

"It can't just be you all the time. When will I get my turn, huh?! When will you stop breaking my rules for once? O-or atleast make me feel normal for once!"

"Oh 12," she still tried to give him a patient smile, "I did this hangout for you."

12 was taken back in confusion.

"What?"

"Well," she corrected him, "also for 19. I just wanted us and 19 to finally become friends. I read stories in the library on how people who hate each other can make up and that one of the best things to do is try to communicate with each other a little more. Maybe play a game or talk about our lives. I didn't mean to make you upset, but I promise that if you just tell 19 how you feel-"

"Oh my scientist," he muttered and face palming in stress, "I can't do this."

"12," the white braided female caught up to him, "I think it's better you tell me what's wrong."

"Good heavens 19," he argued again, "pretending to now care for me is not gonna make any difference!"

"But maybe your sister is right," she replied, "maybe we should just start over-"

"THERE'S NO SUCH THING AS STARTING OVER!"

She finally became quiet.

12 then sigh and said,

"You guys can go. I'm staying here for tonight."

"No," 7 protested, "there are beasts out there. You will have a chance of dying if you stay here."

"I'll be fine," he started walking towards the debris, "just go."

"I'll stay too," 11 announced and walked to him until he stopped.

"Do you think I want to talk to you?" He snapped at her again with disgust, "have you tortured me ENOUGH?!"

"Well I mean," she took a step back a bit and showed a mixture of trying to comfort him while slightly worried, "if that's what you feel comfortable with, than that's fine too. Just know that you're still invited to come back to our room and continue sleeping with each other."

He continued to glare at her and later squinted. He didn't even hesitate to storm away from her. 19 felt like she needed the right walk up to him and speak up again. But 7 grabbed her right when she took one step.

"Let him cool off," her mother sighed, "he knows how to get back to the base."

"A fighter or not," 19 said in a frown, "we can't leave him like this."

"No matter what we do or say, we can't speak him out of it when he is in a very bad mood. Besides, the sun is beginning to lower."

The daughter looked up and was in slight surprise that the sun was already low enough to touch the fallen cathedral, making her wonder how long they were really around here.

Looking away from it, she frowned in slight worry when she caught sight of the female dwarf still walking up to her brother sitting on a rock and looking out into nothing. Standing right next to him, she glance down at the souvenir that was still in her hand with a hidden expression and reached it out close to his face. He notice this in an uncaring reaction and lift his face to see his emotional smiling sister.

"Just in case you get a teensy bit lonely."

He looked back down unto the item, staring at it without saying a word. He then snatched it out of her hand threw it halfway across the area. The blue bow stitchpunk watched as it tumbled unto the ground and remained there.

She turned back to 12 in a pause and emotionally smiled again.

"You're welcome."

She took few steps to take her last look at him and turn to follow 7. Walking past by and noticing 19 still wasn't moving, she stopped again and turn to her with a moment of a blank look.

"Oh 19," she made a soft tease, "you're not a statue. Come on!"

She took her hand and helped her start walking. As she was investigating this small girl, it was pretty obvious that her happiness was fake after what just happened back there. She just hope her worry wasn't worse than what she thinks. She also took one glance at the male fighter, who was just sitting in the rock in silence. And as they get farther away from, the tall young girl can't help but play all the questions in her head and worry about think awkward and misunderstanding guy even more. _What did I do that is bothering him?_


	12. Episode 5: A Blind Man p3

It was another routine of the week: thunderstorm. Lightning flashed as the sound of its thunder crackled past through and ran into the distance until there was nothing to be heard except for the sound of raindrops hitting the ground. But it was not the reason why 19 couldn't sleep. She has been terrified of more horrifying things than thunderstorms...which one thing that her mind would catch the most when she defines her fear is her recent nightmares and hallucinations.

She looked out the window to only see darkness except to see some sight of the raindrop that were almost hard to see. And all she can think about are two people that are possibly going through that awful weather. 12 must be trying to seek shelter from the debris...maybe being disgusted of accidentally splashing his feet unto a puddle. And as for 10... he must be freezing from wherever he is, if there is a possibility that he is still alive.

The days have gotten colder and even if her best friend has been gone for almost two days now, she can't imagine being in the cold world longer than 12. In fact she's more worried about him than that dwarf stitchpunk. Not only because she's closer to him and 12 is more of a fighter, but...she frowned more in a tearful look in sigh.

 _Please come back..._

she buried her head in deep sadness.

 _I need you to come back and be okay. I'm really worried for you._

She felt herself choking up and then hid her face as another thunder rumbled in the distance. But after few minutes of silent, she heard footsteps getting louder until the curtain open.

 _Oh no_ , her thought mumbled, _not now, 7_.

"Psst...psssst!"

She raised her head stressfully by the strange sound she is making.

"PssssSssSsssSssSSssssSSSSSSSS-!"

She finally turned in slight irritation and notice that it was just 11. Big surprise. Not that she was not happy to see her or anything, but who else would want to see her this late at night?

"I can hear you," she mumbled.

"Heheh," she exchanged a soft uneasy smile, "right. Sorry to wake you."

"Nah, I was awake this whole time."

"Really? Okay then...th-that's good."

While she was saying this, 19 suddenly notice how nervous 11 looked. Almost as if she was cautious about something and that's very uncommon in her positive and childish personality.

"Hey are you okay?" She looked a bit concerned, "You look kind of flushed."

"Yeah," she formed a slight embarrassed emotion, "that's why I wanted to come and ask you a favor. Um...do you think I can sleep here tonight?"

"Is it because of 12?" She sat up a bit with developing attention.

"Somewhat," she shrugged a bit, "but also because I have this weird thing about being afraid of sleeping alone in the dark. Just that since he's not here next to me...Heh!" She rubbed her heard in a humiliating smile, "I'm sorry this is so weird. We just started talking to each other yesterday."

"Hm," 19 blinked in thought and pulled blanket back before patting it with a smile, "here. Make yourself at room."

11 was a bit surprised by this and smiled.

"Oh my goodness, thank you!"

The youngest's eyes widened when 11 immediately rushed to her bed lept unto it, giggling as rolled around it playfully. This somehow cheered the white one up by her happiness and ending up with a smile. As soon as the dwarf finally settled down and made a cheerful sigh, she looked up at 19.

"Wow 19," she laughed a bit, "that is quite the funny mood swing you got there!"

"Huh," she got a bit confused, "what do you mean by that?"

"Well I heard you crying several seconds ago."

"I did?"

"Yeah, I thought you obviously noticed."

19 pondered about it for a moment.

 _Strange_ , she thought, _I thought I was just feeling really stressed and sad about the situation. I never thought that I got so lost in my thought enough to realize that I was sobbing. And 11 noticed my sadness. That's...embarrassing._

"-okay?"

She blinked back into reality and returned her look to the pale stitchpunk.

"Oh sorry, I got lost for a moment. What did you say?"

"Are you sure you're okay?"

"Oh. Um...I-"

Dang it, even it's hard for her to explain it. She been pretty sad about situations in her life for almost as long as she can remember. And over the past two years, she tries cheering herself up by breaking the rules and going out to see the world that her mom always hides her from. But for the past week, it feels as if everything was running over her. One day, she got a stitch on her leg and accidentally messed around with a talisman. The next day, hallucinations started. And next day 10 went missing. Today, 12's not in the base either.

19 frown in all these thoughts returning.

She sighed,

"I'm not sure. This week has just been complete bad luck for me. And I'm just afraid of what will happen tomorrow. 10 was always the one who would help me solve situations like this. He's my best friend, so I really trust him whatever he does or say to me. But now he's gone."

11 sat there silently.

"And..." She continued, "now I just feel lost and scared on what else is going to happen. 10 was the only one I feel comfortable in telling my situation to and who knows if he-"

Her last word shuddered before her sentence completely cut off. The older female thought that she may get the strength to continue, but she never did.

Instead, her pupils expanded a bit and felt her body tense the same time as her face getting a very tearful expression. Hearing her sniffling, that was when 11 knew she was crying again.

"Aw no, no,no," 11 showed pity and immediately wrap her arms around and closing her eyes shut when she pressed her cheeks unto her chest and resulting in her hearing a soft sound of her soul pulse, "don't cry. Crying never solves anything."

Just the way her hug gave a sudden coziness to her emotion made her sobbing soften and gave her the urge to exchange her hug back.

"You know," 11 nuzzled her chest before looking up at her smiling, "we do often get challenges in our life. And let me just say that when I get dumpy days, they have a good way to slap me right on the butt."

The braided stitchpunk comfort vanished by that unexpected strange sentence and look down at the blue shirt girl.

"But then I will remind myself 'no, bad day! You cannot mess with me. I will continue to be strong be the happy and positive girl that I have always since awoke in this world!' It's...at least something that helps me cheer up or I can just go sit near the sewers, but what am I saying? I'm possibly the only person here who loves the sewer."

"It's," she rubbed one of her optics and sniffle a bit, "not that I hate it. It beautiful. Just...not something that I would like to go to every single day."

"I understand, 19," she wink, "it's just my 11 thing,"

"Right," she took one last rub to her eyes before lowering her hand.

"I'm sorry," 19 replied, "I shouldn't be like this. It's just been an awful week."

"I know you will feel better," 11 settled down in bed and began making herself feel cozy before yawning a bit, "just stay strong. As long as your positive, everything will be okay."

19 wasn't certain about that last sentence, but she felt that it's better not to burst that healer trainer's positivity. She instead nodded laid down as well, not annoyed when the dwarf to hug close to her while trying to sleep.

19 look out at the window where soft thunder can be heard.

"Hey, 11?"

"Hmm?" Her voice was now drowning from her drowsiness, but was still willing to listen to her.

"Do you think you can tell me more about 12? Do you know what exactly is his problem? Why he hates me?"

11 yawned again,

"He doesn't hate you. He just...it's something you have find out for yourself."

"But why not?"

"I promised him...that I wouldn't tell anyone," her voice grew into a whisper, "you're gonna have to find a way to make him tell you."

"Find a way to make him tell me," she blanked out again. She think that it could be impossible, since 12 rarely wants to talk to her.

"Just," 11 sighed tiredly and hug her a little more, "don't hate him. No more fighting each other. 12 is...not what you think he is. He's the best friend...to..."

19 waited for her to finish, but all she heard was silence. She turned to see that the small one peacefully fell into slumber, with her breathing often quivering a bit.

She stared at her for a while and then look down at the pillow. She reached her hand underneath it and carefully pulled 9's notebook out without waking 11 up. Looking at it, she now wondered if he was going through the situation with 12, what would 9 do? In the matter of fact, since she has half his soul, what would she do? She slowly looked back out the window.

"You know," she murmured to 11, despite her being asleep, "I think you may be right."

 **IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII**

"DAM-!" 12 couldn't get to finish his panicked shout and rapidly hugged himself when he heard another clashing sound of the storm pass right through the area. As soon as it started to fade away, his harsh shivering soften, ignoring his cold and wet body. He looked out toward his dark surroundings, feeling as if it might eat him up at any moment.

 _Thunderstorms_ , he felt another chill of fear pass through his body when he saw lightning dance across the sky in the distance, _why did the guardians have to summon thunderstorm at this moment?_

He shivered again when another thunder was heard, but this softer. By the time it died off, he exhaustedly rest his chin on his knees and sigh. Often times, he would feel like calling out to his sister, only to remind himself that she's not here. And the more this repeats, the stronger the urge to rush back to the home base and hug his her tightly becomes.

It then made him think of what she felt when he snapped at her that afternoon.

 _I can't believe I did that to her again_ , he sighed. _Now that I think about it, she didn't really do anything. She was just trying to help me with my attitude lately from her...but she doesn't understand. She doesn't know what it's like to be-!_

The small male growled in frustration.

 _And that leader's daughter. Who knows if she carries it too. Or...no, I have to be right. I heard it all over from that old woman's mouth. About her, about me, it's impossible to be friends with her when we...and earlier she sounded like she's really telling the truth._

He grabbed his head with his body shaking.

 _It can't be true. It can't be! Those words are impossible, but how come she sounds as if she telling the-!_

The thunder crackling again made him flinch, making him snap out of these frustrating thoughts. He anxiously looked around and listened to the sound fade. He relaxed again and frown. Now waking up from it, he realized how it hurts his head just thinking about it. He made a huge sigh and rubbed his head.

 _I can't believe I ended up driving her away. I would have explain these thoughts to her and she would give me answers. Oh wait...she has. I never try to listen to her...man, I'm an idiot._

It didn't take him long to later to realize something and slightly turned to see the souvenir, that 11 found for 12, lying on the ground that the male fighter threw it at.

 _"12 look, I found a souvenir!"_

He took a moment to glimpse at it, remembering one of his sister's word. He decided to get up and slowly walk words it.

 _"Just in case you get a teensy bit lonely."_

He finally stopped in front of it with the ribbon glued on his helmet flying from the stormy breeze while he looked down upon it. He slightly bent to reach both his hands on it and carry it to rest it on his chest.

Looking at it now, despite it being damaged and burnt, it seems to feel a bit like a treasure. Probably because his sister was nice enough to help him find something to keep in his room and feel as if he's still nearby where the cathedral once stood. Not only that, but it also looked to be incomplete, yet he's not sure exactly what it was. But whatever it used to be, he felt as if it used to be something special.

His body quivered when his emotions unexpectedly triggered a feeling of sadness and guilt.

 _Scientist, what is going on with me? Why am I getting emotional over a piece of junk?_

There was suddenly an urge that told him to hug it, which he easily accepted on doing as he wrapped his arms around it and press it slightly more to his chest. It was extremely awkward. But whatever he was doing, it was washing these emotions away.

 _Whatever_ , he narrowed a bit in exhaustion, _it's been a long day for me. I should take a rest and then try to figure these cruddy stuff out. I can then go home, apologize to Leven, and pretend this never happened._

He turned around and began walking back into his very tiny shelter made out of the debris. He placed his hand on the ground to help himself settle unto the ground.

And just when this was happening, a strong wind past through his body, suddenly feeling a really strong sense within his chest. While the broken bell on the souvenir was crookedly chiming from the wind, his mind immediately grew alert, causing his eyes to completely widen. He was frozen in his position. He never felt anything this strong before.

He often goes through awkward emotional feelings in his chest, but not anything so unnatural than this. He then notice that the rain was rapidly slowing down until the raindrops no longer came down. He looked up at it and raised on of his hands up to feel any raindrops falling, but it never came. A stronger sense flood into his chest, catching him in surprise and placing his hand on it. With how warm his chest was becoming, he would think that the rain gave him a heat.

 _No_ , he thought in realization, _it's not even a pain enough to be a heat._

He released his hand from chest and straightened his body. He blankly stared at the fallen cathedral.

 _Somebody's here._

A green light flashed behind him when he immediately got that thought and quickly turned with a startle. He then slowly eased with a mixture of alert and curiosity. In front of him was a small green spark of light that was gently floating closer to the ground until it stopped around few inches close to it.

Preparing himself for what might happen next and clutching the damaged object tightly, he watched as the spark formed to make an initial number of "1".

 **End of episode 5**


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